Abstract
Negative urgency is a unique dimension of impulsivity that involves acting rashly when in extreme distress and impairments in inhibitory control. It has been hypothesized to derive from stress that is related to negative emotional states that are experienced during the withdrawal/negative affect stage of the addiction cycle. Classically, a transition to compulsive drug use prevents or relieves negative emotional states that result from abstinence or stressful environmental circumstances. Recent work suggests that this shift to the “dark side” is also implicated in impulsive use that derives from negative urgency. Stress and anxious, depressed, and irritable mood have high comorbidity with addiction. They may trigger bouts of drug seeking in humans via both negative reinforcement and negative urgency. The neurocircuitry that has been identified in the “dark side” of addiction involves key neuropeptides in the central extended amygdala, including corticotropin-releasing factor. The present review article summarizes empirical and conceptual advances in the field to understand the role of the “dark side” in driving the risky and detrimental substance use that is associated with negative urgency in addiction.
Highlights
From the ‘‘dark side’’ perspective, negative urgency is viewed as a trait that increases the likelihood of relapsing during opponent-process- or life stress-associated distress (Ahmed and Koob, 2005)
From a ‘‘dark side’’ perspective, negative urgency forms another pathway for impulsivity deficits to continue throughout the addiction cycle, not being limited to positive urgency, reward, and basal ganglia function
The results suggested that impulsive behavior that is engendered by the unexpected omission of reward may represent a valid behavioral model of negative urgency that can be linked to substance abuse (Gipson et al, 2012)
Summary
From the ‘‘dark side’’ perspective, negative urgency is viewed as a trait that increases the likelihood of relapsing during opponent-process- or life stress-associated distress (Ahmed and Koob, 2005). An increase in substance cue reactivity is seen in the hypothesized negative urgency network (i.e., basal ganglia, amygdala, OFC, cingulate cortex, vmPFC, dorsolateral PFC, and anterior insula) in people with substance use disorders and predicts relapse (Heinz et al, 2009; Goudriaan et al, 2010; Engelmann et al, 2012; Mainz et al, 2012; Jasinska et al, 2014).
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