Comparable level of aggression between patients with behavioural addiction and healthy subjects

Heightened aggression is identified in several psychiatric disorders, including addiction. In this preliminary study with a relatively small number of samples, aggression in subjects diagnosed with behavioural addiction (BA) was implicitly assessed using the point subtraction aggression paradigm (PSAP) test along with measurements of oxy- and deoxyhaemoglobin dynamics in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during the test using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Aggression in BA patients was no higher than that of healthy control (CT) subjects in the PSAP test. Although no apparent increase or decrease in haemoglobin concentrations was observed in the PFC of either BA patients or CT subjects, abnormal correlations within the PFC network were present in BA patients. Consistent with comparable aggression between the groups, blood concentrations of the sex hormone testosterone, which has been shown to be associated with aggressiveness, was even lower in BA patients than in CT subjects. In contrast, when a set of questionnaire surveys for the assessment of aggression were administered, BA patients rated themselves as more aggressive than non-BA subjects. Collectively, these results suggest that aggression may not be heightened in BA, but BA patients may overestimate their aggressiveness, raising concerns about the use of questionnaire surveys for assessments of affective traits such as aggression in behavioural addiction.

Social communication disorder and behavioural addiction: Case report and clinical implications

BackgroundSocial communication disorder (SCD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that includes communication difficulties. Literature linking SCD and addictions is scarce, and there are only a few case reports regarding the co-occurrence of addiction and autism disorder spectrum, and only one of them addressed behavioural addictions.Case presentationWe report MC’s case, who displayed an SCD and sexual addiction (SA). Clinical and neuropsychological evaluations suggested an alteration of social cognition, especially of affective theory of mind. This article also presents the adaptation made of the usual treatment.DiscussionThis case report illustrates the importance of social cognition abilities in the development and maintenance of behavioural addictions, and specifically SA. It also highlights the possible comorbidity of these two disorders and the possibility to work on social cognition as an alternate therapy in the treatment of behavioural addictions.ConclusionsThe co-occurrence of SCD and a behavioural addiction triggered clinical adaptations and implications that may affect a patient’s treatment presenting one of these disorders.

Digital detox: The effect of smartphone abstinence on mood, anxiety, and craving

Whether behavioural addictions should be conceptualised using a similar framework to substance-related addictions remains a topic of considerable debate. Previous literature has developed criteria, which allows any new behavioural addiction to be considered analogous to substance-related addictions. These imply that abstinence from a related object (e.g., smartphones for heavy smartphone users) would lead to mood fluctuations alongside increased levels of anxiety and craving. In a sample of smartphone users, we measured three variables (mood, anxiety, and craving) on four occasions, which included a 24-hour period of smartphone abstinence. Only craving was affected following a short period of abstinence. The results suggest that heavy smartphone usage does not fulfil the criteria required to be considered an addiction. This may have implications for other behavioural addictions.

A Study on Prevalence of Behavioural Addictions among College Students

Background: Behavioural addictions is associated with an uncontrollable urge, loss of control, preoccupation with use and despite consequences. Aim: To study the prevalence of behavioural addictions among college students. Methods& Materials: 300 students are served as participants within the age group of 17 to 19 years. Behavioural addiction questionnaire is administered on 300 college students. Results: The pattern of behavioural addiction screening among college students revealed that the presence of high percentage of addictive use for Cell phone (28.6%), Shopping (22.4%), Internet (20.4%) and television (20.6%). There is significant difference between the behavioural addictions and dimensions of behavioural addictions (Craving, loss of control, compulsion and impact on others). Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between Eating Addiction and compulsion, Shopping addiction with dimensions of compulsion and impact on others, Sexual addiction with craving and loss of control, cell phone addiction and dimensions of craving, loss of control and impact on others, television addiction with craving, loss of control and impact on others, internet addiction with craving and impact on others.