Predictors Of Impulsivity Research Articles

Beyond BMI: cardiometabolic measures as predictors of impulsivity and white matter changes in adolescents

Obesity is characterized by cardiometabolic and neurocognitive changes. However, how these two factors relate to each other in this population is unknown. We tested the association that cardiometabolic measures may have with impulse behaviors and white matter microstructure in adolescents with and without an excess weight. One hundred and eight adolescents (43 normal-weight and 65 overweight/obesity; 11–19 years old) were medically and psychologically (Temperament Character Inventory Revised, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18, Conners’ Continuous Performance Test-II, Stroop Color and Word Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Kirby Delay Discounting Task) evaluated. A subsample of participants (n = 56) underwent a brain magnetic resonance imaging acquisition. In adolescents, higher triglycerides and having a body mass index indicative of overweight/obesity predicted a more impulsive performance in Conners’ Continuous Performance Test-II (higher commission errors). In addition, higher glucose and diastolic blood pressure values predicted increments in the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 emotional eating scale. Neuroanatomically, cingulum fractional anisotropy showed a negative relationship with glycated hemoglobin. The evaluation of the neurocognitive differences associated with obesity, usually based on body mass index, should be complemented with cardiometabolic measures.

Corticolimbic DCC gene co-expression networks as predictors of impulsivity in children

Inhibitory control deficits are prevalent in multiple neuropsychiatric conditions. The communication- as well as the connectivity- between corticolimbic regions of the brain are fundamental for eliciting inhibitory control behaviors, but early markers of vulnerability to this behavioral trait are yet to be discovered. The gradual maturation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), in particular of the mesocortical dopamine innervation, mirrors the protracted development of inhibitory control; both are present early in life, but reach full maturation by early adulthood. Evidence suggests the involvement of the Netrin-1/DCC signaling pathway and its associated gene networks in corticolimbic development. Here we investigated whether an expression-based polygenic score (ePRS) based on corticolimbic-specific DCC gene co-expression networks associates with impulsivity-related phenotypes in community samples of children. We found that lower ePRS scores associate with higher measurements of impulsive choice in 6-year-old children tested in the Information Sampling Task and with impulsive action in 6- and 10-year-old children tested in the Stop Signal Task. We also found the ePRS to be a better overall predictor of impulsivity when compared to a conventional PRS score comparable in size to the ePRS (4515 SNPs in our discovery cohort) and derived from the latest GWAS for ADHD. We propose that the corticolimbic DCC-ePRS can serve as a novel type of marker for impulsivity-related phenotypes in children. By adopting a systems biology approach based on gene co-expression networks and genotype-gene expression (rather than genotype-disease) associations, these results further validate our methodology to construct polygenic scores linked to the overall biological function of tissue-specific gene networks.

La inhibición, el autocontrol emocional, la memoria de trabajo y la supervisión ¿predicen las manifestaciones típicas de adultos con TDAH?

Introducción. Los déficits en inhibición, control emocional, memoria de trabajo y supervisión se han evidenciado en numerosas investigaciones focalizadas en el trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH), pero la información sobre su posible influencia diferencial en las manifestaciones características del trastorno es escasa. Objetivos. El presente estudio se propuso analizar las relaciones de las funciones ejecutivas de regulación (inhibición y control emocional) y metacognitivas (memoria de trabajo y supervisión) con manifestaciones del TDAH y determinar el poder de predicción de esas cuatro funciones ejecutivas en dichas manifestaciones. Método. Sesenta y un jóvenes adultos entre18 y 24 años con un diagnóstico clínico de subtipo combinado de TDAH en la infancia completaron la Escala Conners de síntomas de TDAH y el Inventario de Funcionamiento Ejecutivo (BRIEF). Resultados. Se encontraron relaciones estadísticamente significativas entre inhibición, regulación emocional, memoria de trabajo y supervisión y las subescalas del Conners.Además, los déficits en las funciones ejecutivas fueron diferencialmente sensibles en la predicción de problemas significativos del TDAH. La memoria de trabajo y la supervisión fueron predictores de los problemas de atención, la inhibición predijo los problemas de autoconcepto y la hiperactividad/ inquietud mientras que el autocontrol emocional fue el mejor predictor de la impulsividad. Conclusiones. La medida de funciones ejecutivas de regulación y metacognitivas pueden ayudar tanto en el diagnóstico como en las evaluaciones de seguimiento del tratamiento de adultos con TDAH.

Correlates and predictors of impulsivity in adults with methamphetamine use disorder

ABSTRACTImpulsivity is known to increase the likelihood of using stimulant drugs which in turn may increase impulsivity, leading to potentially hazardous use. However, little research has been conducted on impulsivity in methamphetamine (MA) users. In this case-control cross-sectional study, 54 adults with MA use disorder (MUD) were compared to 52 matched healthy control (HC) participants using the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P). Demographic and clinical correlates and predictors of impulsivity in MUD participants were also investigated. Our findings indicate that the MUD cohort had significantly increased impulsivity (p < 0.01) compared to the HCs. In the MUD cohort, the UPPS-P total score was also positively correlated with the number of comorbid mental disorders (r = 0.29, p = 0.04), and degree of family impairment (r = 0.37, p < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the level of family impairment associated with MUD was significantly associated with impulsivity, explaining 16% of the variance (R2 = .16, F(2,51) = 4.88, p = .01). Understanding the clinical correlates and predictors of impulsivity in MUD may inform prevention, early identification, and intervention.

Reliability of triggering inhibitory process is a better predictor of impulsivity than SSRT

The ability to control behaviour is thought to rely at least partly on adequately suppressing impulsive responses to external stimuli. However, the evidence for a relationship between response inhibition ability and impulse control is weak and inconsistent. This study investigates the relationship between response inhibition and both self-report and behavioural measures of impulsivity as well as engagement in risky behaviours in a large community sample (N = 174) of healthy adolescents and young adults (15–35 years). Using a stop-signal paradigm with a number parity go task, we implemented a novel hierarchical Bayesian model of response inhibition that estimates stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) as a distribution and also accounts for failures to react to the stop-signal (i.e., “trigger failure”), and failure to react to the choice stimulus (i.e., “go failure” or omission errors). In line with previous studies, the model reduced estimates of SSRT by approximately 100 ms compared with traditional non-parametric SSRT estimation techniques. We found significant relationships between behavioural and self-report measures of impulsivity and traditionally estimated SSRT, that did not hold for the model-based SSRT estimates. Instead, behavioural impulsivity measures were correlated with rate of trigger failure. The relationship between trigger failure and impulsivity suggests that the former may index a higher order inhibition process, whereas SSRT may index a more automatic inhibition process. We suggest that the existence of distinct response inhibition processes that may be associated with different levels of cognitive control.

Neuropsychological correlates of self-reported impulsivity and informant-reported maladaptive behaviour among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury history

ABSTRACTObjective: Frontal lobe deficits resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been linked to impulsive behaviour. We sought to examine whether neuropsychological performance predicted self-reported impulsivity and informant-reported maladaptive behaviour.Method: We administered the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) to 116 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans diagnosed with a history of TBI and PTSD.Results: Poorer performance on D-KEFS Stroop Task (both colour and word, separately) and Trail making (letter sequencing and motor speed) tasks and higher PTSD symptom severity were associated with higher self-reported impulsivity. Trail making letter sequencing performance was negatively associated with informant-reported maladaptive behaviour. Regression analyses revealed PTSD symptom severity and Trail making letter sequencing best predicted self-reported impulsivity, even when accounting for age, sex, and education. Only Trail making letter sequencing predicted informant-reported maladaptive behaviour when accounting for other variables in the model.Conclusions: Attention and processing speed impairments and PTSD symptom severity appear to be important predictors of impulsivity and problematic behaviour among veterans. Findings have implications for theoretical models of aggression and violence and inform the assessment and treatment of individuals with TBI and PTSD.

Adolescent impulsivity as a sex‐dependent and subtype‐dependent predictor of impulsivity, alcohol drinking and dopamine D2 receptor expression in adult rats

Impulsivity is a personality trait associated with a heightened risk for drug use and other psychiatric conditions. Because impulsivity-related disorders typically emerge during adolescence, there has been interest in exploring methods for identifying adolescents that will be at risk to develop substance use disorders in adulthood. Here, we used a rodent model to assess inhibitory control (impulsive action) and impulsive decision making (impulsive choice) during adolescence (43-50days old) or adulthood (93-100days old) and then examined the impact of development on these impulsivity traits by re-testing rats 50days later. Impulsive action was not stable from adolescence to adulthood in male rats and was lowest in adult male rats, relative to adolescents and female rats. Impulsive choice was stable across development and unaffected by age or sex. Next, we examined the connection between our model of impulsivity and two measures relevant to substance abuse research: the initiation of voluntary alcohol drinking and dopamine D2 receptor (D2 R) expression in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex. Consumption of saccharin-sweetened ethanol during 30-minute sessions in adulthood was associated with adolescent, but not adult, impulsive action, particularly in male rats. Prelimbic D2 R expression was reduced in individuals with high levels of impulsive choice, and this relationship appeared to be strongest among female rats. The results of this study demonstrate that impulsive choice, along with its connection to D2 R expression, is relatively unchanged by the process of development. For impulsive action, however, individual levels of impulsivity during adolescence predict drinking in adulthood despite changes in the measure during development.

Predictors of impulsivity and reward seeking behavior with dopamine agonists

Three hundred consecutive patients taking DA either for Parkinson's disease (PD, 207), restless legs syndrome (RLS, 89), or both (4) were interviewed about changes in gambling, spending, sexual activity, or other impulsive activities subsequent to DA. Regression models identified risk factors for impulsivity. Overall, 19.7% reported any increased impulsivity: 30 gambling, 26 spending, 11 sexual activity, and 1 wanton traveling. Only 11/59 felt the change was deleterious. Increased impulsivity correlated with a younger age ( p=0.01), larger doses of DA ( p<0.001), and PD, as opposed to RLS ( p<0.01), but this lost significance after correcting for dose ( p=0.09). Increased impulsivity is common but usually not deleterious.