[Impulse control disorder: patients with pituitary adenomas and dopaminergic agonists].

Background: Impulse control disorder suggests a fronto-striatal dysfunction that impairs executive metacognitive abilities, as a result of dopamine receptor activation. Dopaminergic agonists serve as adjuvant therapy in pituitary adenomas. Objective: To analyze the frequency of impulse control disorder in patients with pituitary adenomas treated with dopaminergic agonists. Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study; ≥ 18 years old, diagnosed with pituitary adenoma, and receiving dopaminergic agonist treatment. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) was used. Proportions were compared using Chi-square; means with the Student's t-test, Pearson´s correlation for the strength of the association between each subscale. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated for risk calculations. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Forty patients were studied, 50% female, with an average age of 42.32 years. According to the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), 40% showed cognitive impairment, 27.5% showed motor impulsivity, and 7.5% exhibited unplanned impulsivity. In total, 12.5% of the population tested positive. Seventy-five percent had a lower accumulated dose (less than 500 mg), with an average of 248.4 milligrams, and 60% had been on treatment for more than 2 years. Conclusions: A 12.5% incidence of impulsivity was observed based on the total BIS-11 score, with a 19-fold higher risk in women, and a tendency toward microprolactinoma presence.