Abstract
RationaleDependence on drugs and alcohol is associated with impaired impulse control, but deficits are rarely compared across individuals dependent on different substances using several measures within a single study.ObjectivesWe investigated impulsivity in abstinent substance-dependent individuals (AbD) using three complementary techniques: self-report, neuropsychological and neuroimaging. We hypothesised that AbDs would show increased impulsivity across modalities, and that this would depend on length of abstinence.MethodsData were collected from the ICCAM study: 57 control and 86 AbDs, comprising a group with a history of dependence on alcohol only (n = 27) and a group with history of dependence on multiple substances (“polydrug”, n = 59). All participants completed self-report measures of impulsivity: Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale, Behaviour Inhibition/Activation System and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory. They also performed three behavioural tasks: Stop Signal, Intra-Extra Dimensional Set-Shift and Kirby Delay Discounting; and completed a Go/NoGo task during fMRI.ResultsAbDs scored significantly higher than controls on self-report measures, but alcohol and polydrug dependent groups did not differ significantly from each other. Polydrug participants had significantly higher discounting scores than both controls and alcohol participants. There were no group differences on the other behavioural measures or on the fMRI measure.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the current set of self-report measures of impulsivity is more sensitive in abstinent individuals than the behavioural or fMRI measures of neuronal activity. This highlights the importance of developing behavioural measures to assess different, more relevant, aspects of impulsivity alongside corresponding cognitive challenges for fMRI.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00213-016-4245-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Impulsivity is action without forethought, involves premature responding, poor response inhibition and low tolerance for delay (Evenden 1999)
The results suggest that the current set of selfreport measures of impulsivity is more sensitive in abstinent individuals than the behavioural or fMRI measures of neuronal activity
This highlights the importance of developing behavioural measures to assess different, more relevant, aspects of impulsivity alongside corresponding cognitive challenges for fMRI
Summary
Impulsivity is action without forethought, involves premature responding, poor response inhibition and low tolerance for delay (Evenden 1999). It is frequently associated with substance dependence (Dalley et al 2011; de Wit 2009; Perry and Carroll 2008; Verdejo-García et al 2008) and higher impulsivity is related to polydrug use (McCown 1988; Semple et al 2005). Self-report measures, such as the widely used Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11; Patton et al 1995), are assumed to be relatively stable trait constructs, whilst behavioural measures are dependent on specific strategies that may differ between individuals and testing sessions (Bari and Robbins 2013). Whilst self-report measures may be more ecologically valid, they are reliant on individual insight and are susceptible to bias (Verdejo-García et al 2008)
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