Developing Pharmacotherapy for Cyberaddictions

Abstract

When developing a new pharmacotherapy for a given indication one has to differentiate between de novo developments and drug repurposing. The practice of drug repurposing can be based on 2 core concepts: (1) the Known compound-new target and (2) the Known target-new indication approach. Concerning cyberaddictions, the known target- new indication approach becomes the most promising in consideration of different hypotheses classifying cyberaddiction within other well defined psychiatric disorders, for which efficacious pharmacotherapies have been corroborated. Supposing similar or identical neurobiological underpinnings, a common pharmacological target can be formulated as working hypothesis. Research on new pharmacotherapies for cyberaddiction can thus be conceptualized along different axes which follow the various current theorizations concerning the diagnosis categorization of cyberaddictions. As Internet addiction shares features which are in common with substance use disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorders, treatments found to be efficacious in these disorders may be promising development candidates for cyberaddiction. Also, cyberaddiction has been conceptualized to represent the corollary of other psychiatric disorders. Thus, currently mainly three research tracks can be distinguished: (a) the addictions track (b) the OCD track, and (c) the comorbidity track.