The neurobiology and genetics of impulse control disorders: Relationships to drug addictions

Impulse control disorders (ICDs), including pathological gambling, trichotillomania, kleptomania and others, have been conceptualized to lie along an impulsive–compulsive spectrum. Recent data have suggested that these disorders may be considered addictions. Here, we review the genetic and neuropathological bases of the impulse control disorders and consider the disorders within these non-mutually exclusive frameworks.