#29 When medicines change our behaviour – Michele Fusaroli

Send a text message to the show!Medicines can affect our personality in positive ways, but they may also lead to destructive behaviours that can damage our relationships, finances, and overall quality of life. Michele Fusaroli from the University of Bologna explains how to diagnose and treat drug-induced impulse control disorders.Tune in to find out:Which medicines may cause impulsivityWhat the ‘four knights’ of impulsivity areHow patient stories can help detect these conditionsWant to know more?This review by Daniel Weintraub summarises twenty years of research on impulse control disorders in Parkinson’s disease.In 2003, Driver-Dunckley and colleagues in the US published the first case series linking pathological gambling to dopamine agonists.In 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration warned about impulse-control problems associated with the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole.Michele and colleagues in Italy have investigated the mechanisms and burden of drug-induced impulsivity.In their 2024 guidelines for managing impulsivity in Parkinson's disease, an expert consensus group highlighted the pivotal role of caregivers and of psychosocial interventions.Finally, these are the Drug Safety Matters episodes cited in the interview:Catching black swansWhen drugs damage the liverEmpowering patients as partnersWhy we should listen to patientsGot a story to share?We’re always looking for new topics and interesting voices. If you have an idea or any other feedback for the show, get in touch!About UMCUppsala Monitoring Centre promotes safer use of medicines and vaccines for everyone everywhere. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky.