Relationships Between Total Cholesterol Levels and Specific Alterations in Impulsivity and Attention

Abstract

Abstract The relationship between total cholesterol (TC) levels in whole blood and error rates on the Conners Continuous Performance Test II (CPT; a standardized computer-based assessment of visual attention and reaction time) was investigated in a sample of generally healthy adults, and followed up previous research that tentatively suggested a positive relationship between TC and behavioral impulsivity. TC levels were gathered from capillary blood samples taken from each participant (n = 30). Measures of life stress and various socio-demographic and health variables were also obtained. Each participant also completed the CPT, and a covariate-adjusted analysis was completed to examine the relationship between TC and CPT performance. Adjusting for several relevant covariates, increases in TC were significantly positively associated with a greater rate of CPT commission errors, which are widely assumed to serve as an indicator of behavioral impulsivity. Noteworthy behavioral consequences of elevated TC may exist, particularly in situations that require impulse control and sustained visual attention.