title: Publicity and reports of behavioral addictions associated with dopamine agonists.
abstract: Background The development of behavioral addictions (BAs) in association with dopamine agonists (DAs, commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease) has been reported. A recent report presented data that these associations are evident in the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), a database containing information on adverse drug event and medication error reports submitted to the FDA. However, given that vulnerability to publicity-stimulated reporting is a potential limitation of spontaneous reporting systems like the FAERS, the potential impact of publicity on reporting in this case remains unclear. Method and aims To investigate the potential impact of publicity on FAERS reporting of BAs in association with DAs (BAs w/DAs) as presented by Moore, Glenmullen, and Mattison (2014) , news stories covering a BA/DA association were identified and compared with BA w/DA and other reporting data in the FAERS. Results Fluctuations in the growth of BA w/DA reporting to the FAERS between 2003 and 2012 appear to coincide with multiple periods of intensive media coverage of a BA/DA association, a pattern that is not evident in other reporting data in the FAERS. Discussion/Conclusions Publicity may stimulate reporting of adverse events and premature dismissal of the potential influence of publicity on reporting may lead to mistaking an increased risk of an adverse event being reported for an increased risk of an adverse event occurring.
authors.affiliation: Independent Consultant, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Gendreau
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry, Neurobiology and Child Study Center , Senior Scientist, CASAColumbia, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Marc N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Potenza
mesh_terms: D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems / Q000639:trends*; D001288:Attention; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000139:chemically induced*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005715:Gambling / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media / Q000639:trends*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists
keywords: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System; Parkinson’s disease; behavioral addictions; dopamine agonists; gambling; impulse control disorders