title: A role for pharmacotherapy in the treatment of "internet addiction".
abstract: The advent of the Internet is among the most significant changes in recent decades and has greatly affected the entire range of human experience. However, it has, in turn, led to the emergence of psychopathological features of addiction linked to its use. Literature on the clinical management of the distress related to Internet use systematically measures up to an evolving nosography, with ambiguous definitions of the phenomenon and a diversity of diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic criteria. To date, case studies on "Internet addiction" treatment are rather limited, and no standard clinical treatment protocols exist. With regard to pharmacological treatment options, empirical or anecdotal assessments are mostly referred to. The aim of this article was to review current literature on Internet addiction treatment and assess the extent to which specific pharmacological interventions alleviate these patients' symptomatic burden, to propose a rationale that may guide the therapeutic approach. To this end, we also explored pharmacological interventions that target patterns of comorbidity and underlying psychopathological dimensions shared with other behavioral or substance addictions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. g.camardese@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Camardese
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Risio
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Nicola
authors.forename: Giusy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pizi
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Janiri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs