Impulsivity in hoarding

Abstract

Acquisition in hoarding appears to have impulsive features likely to be evident in behavioral impulsivity and response inhibition. This study used a multi-dimensional model of impulsivity to examine this construct in participants with hoarding (n=32) and anxiety disorders (n=32) who received a diagnostic assessment and completed self-report forms and neuropsychological tasks measuring impulsivity. A diagnosis of hoarding predicted higher levels of self-reported urgency, as well as greater difficulties with response inhibition and lowered adaptive and maladaptive risk taking, independent of social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. However, when age was controlled, hoarding ceased to predict these outcomes independent of other psychiatric diagnoses. Although specific symptoms of hoarding appeared significantly related to some aspects of impulsivity, analyses indicated that age accounted for these findings. In the present study, as in other studies, hoarding participants averaged approximately 25 years older than those with anxiety disorders, rendering examination of response inhibition and risk taking in hoarding versus anxiety disorders more difficult. Further research on other aspects of impulsivity (e.g., reward delay, planning/foresight) in hoarding and other psychiatric conditions with age matched comparison samples can advance understanding of these disorders and potentially lead to innovative treatments.