Unveiling the Hidden Toll of Drug-Induced Impulsivity: A Network Analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionAdverse drug reactions significantly impact patients’ lives, yet their influence is often underestimated in treatment decisions and monitoring. Impulsivity induced by dopaminergic agents can lead to impaired social functioning and quality of life.AimThis study assesses impulsivity burdens from pramipexole and aripiprazole, pinpointing key symptoms for targeted mitigation.MethodLeveraging data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (January 2004 - March 2022), we employed the Information Component to identify the syndrome of signs and symptoms disproportionately co-reported with drug-induced impulsivity. Using composite network analyses (PPMI, Ising,ϕ) we characterized clusters of co-reported events (i.e., subsyndromes). Finally, we assessed the secondary impact of drug-induced impulsivity modeling our dataset as a chain of directed connections (Bayesian network).ResultsThe drug-induced impulsivity syndrome (respectively 56 and 107 events in pramipexole and aripiprazole recipients), primarily encompassed psychiatric, social, and metabolic events, segregated into subsyndromes such as delusional jealousy and dopamine dysregulation syndromes among pramipexole recipients, and obesity-hypoventilation syndrome and social issues among aripiprazole recipients. Anxiety and economic problems emerged as pivotal nodes in the exacerbation of the syndromes.ConclusionDrug-induced impulsivity places a substantial burden on patients and their families, with manifestations shaped by the underlying disease. Network approaches, exploring intricate symptom connections and identifying pivotal symptoms, complement traditional techniques and clinical judgment, providing a foundation for informed prescription and targeted interventions to alleviate the burden of adverse drug reactions.