Training impulsive children to talk to themselves: a means of developing self-control.
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Analysis of Variance↗
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Results for “Impulsive Behavior”
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Evolutionary underpinnings of excessive alcohol consumption.
Given our close phylogenetic relatedness, non-human primates, in principle, could serve as an ideal model for alcoholism. Indeed, many studies in both humans and rhesus macaques show relationships between excessive alcohol consumption, aggression and serotonergic function, as measured by concentrations of the principal metabolite of serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). An important behavioral predictor of excessive alcohol consumption in both humans and rhesus monkeys is the propensity toward impulsivity. Integrating behavioral and neuroendocrine data from captive and semi-free-ranging rhesus macaques, we posit that benefits derived from impulsive and aggressive behaviors in some contexts might contribute indirectly to the maintenance of traits involved in alcoholism and excessive alcohol intake.
Alcoholism↗
Impulse-control disorders in alcoholics are related to sensation seeking and not to impulsivity.
Impulse-control disorders (ICD) include intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania, trichotillomania, pyromania and pathological gambling. Several studies have suggested that the incidence of pathological gambling and impulsive violent behavior is substantially higher in alcohol-dependent patients than in the general population. The association between ICD and alcoholism, as well as personality characteristics such as sensation seeking and impulsivity, has never been systematically studied. The present study compared the levels of impulsivity and sensation seeking in age- and sex-matched groups of alcohol-dependent patients with concomitant ICD (ICD+, n = 30), alcohol-dependent patients without ICD (ICD-; n = 30) and control subjects (n = 30). All the alcohol-dependent patients (ICD+ and ICD-) were hospitalized for alcohol detoxification. Diagnoses of ICD were based on DSM-IV criteria and the Minnesota Impulsive Disorders Interview. All patients completed the Zuckerman Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Rating Scale (BIS). Mean scores on the SSS general factor, the SSS disinhibition subscale, and the SSS experience-seeking scale were significantly higher in ICD+ patients than in either ICD- patients or control subjects. By contrast, total scores and subscale scores on the BIS showed no significant differences among the three groups. Thus, it appears that measures of sensation seeking, rather than impulsivity, are relevant in distinguishing between alcohol-dependent patients with and without concomitant impulse control disorders.
Adult↗
Impulsiveness without discounting: the ecological rationality hypothesis.
Observed animal impulsiveness challenges ideas from foraging theory about the fitness value of food rewards, and may play a role in important behavioural phenomena such as cooperation and addiction. Behavioural ecologists usually invoke temporal discounting to explain the evolution of animal impulsiveness. According to the discounting hypothesis, delay reduces the fitness value of the delayed food. We develop an alternative model for the evolution of impulsiveness that does not require discounting. We show that impulsive or short-sighted rules can maximize long-term rates of food intake. The advantages of impulsive rules come from two sources. First, naturally occurring choices have a foreground-background structure that reduces the long-term cost of impulsiveness. Second, impulsive rules have a discrimination advantage because they tend to compare smaller quantities. Discounting contributes little to this result. Although we find that impulsive rules are optimal in a simple foreground-background choice situation in the absence of discounting, in contrast we do not find comparable impulsiveness in binary choice situations even when there is strong discounting.
Animals↗
A comparison of multiple 5-HT receptors in two tasks measuring impulsivity.
Impulsivity has often been assumed to be a unitary construct. However dissociable forms of impulsive behaviour may exist, each with distinct neurochemical underpinnings. To test this hypothesis, behavioural effects of three partially selective serotonergic (5-HT) ligands, ketanserin (5-HT2(A, C) receptor antagonist), SER-082 (5-HT2(C, B) receptor antagonist) and SB-270146-A (5-HT6 receptor antagonist) were compared in two tests of impulsivity. The five-choice serial reaction time task (5-csrtt) and a delayed reward task were chosen as they measure theoretically different types of impulsivity, behavioural inhibition versus choice preference for a delayed reward. Dissociation was seen between the effects of ketanserin, which decreased impulsivity in the 5-csrtt, but had no effect on the delayed reward task, and SER-082, which had no effect on the 5-csrtt, but decreased impulsive responding in the delayed reward task. SB-270146-A had no effect in either paradigm. The results suggest that the 5-csrtt and the delayed reward task do in fact measure different types of impulsive behaviour, which are at least partially neurochemically distinct.
Animals↗
Modification of cognitive tempo on a haptic-visual matching task.
The present experiment investigated the modification of response latencies and error rates on a haptic-visual matching test via modeling procedures (N = 60 slow and fast responding primary school boys and girls). Twenty-four slow and 24 fast responders were exposed to one of four videotaped modeling conditions depicting refelctive or impulsive strategies that were either successful or unsuccessful. Immediately following exposure to the taped model, Ss were posttested, and changes in their latencies and error rates on the haptic-vusial matching test were assessed. The remaining six slow responders and six fact responders viewed no model but participated in the same posttest procedure, thus serving as no treatment controls. The principal results indicated that the viewing of the reflective-success model significantly increased the response latencies of all Ss, particularly slow responding Ss, and that the viewing of either reflective model (success or failure) significantly decreased the error rates of fast responding Ss. The impulsive model, on the other hand, had no significant effect on either response latencies or error rates.
Child↗
Reflection-impulsivity and verbal control of motor behavior.
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Child↗
Impulsivity and the coronary-prone behavior pattern.
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Coronary Disease↗
Impulsive aggression in borderline personality disorder.
Impulsive aggressive behaviors that include physical aggression directed towards others, self-mutilation, suicide attempts, domestic violence, substance abuse, and property destruction account for a substantial portion of the morbidity and mortality associated with personality disorders, in particular borderline personality disorder (BPD). Recent genetic, neurobiologic, and diagnostic studies suggest a dimensional approach to BPD symptomatology with impulsive aggression as one of the core dimensions for the disorder. The underlying biologic basis for impulsive aggression is centered on the serotonin hypothesis; that central 5-HT function is inversely related to aggression and suicidality. More recent research refines the theory to include associated brain regions, receptor types and neuromodulators potentially involved in the etiology of aggressivity. Treatment utilizes this information with substantial progress in well-designed placebo-controlled studies of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine, and open-label series of atypical neuroleptics, mood stabilizers, and opioid antagonists
Aggression↗
On delayed impulsive Hopfield neural networks(1).
Many evolutionary processes, particularly some biological systems, exhibit impulsive dynamical behaviors, which can be well described by impulsive Hopfield neural networks. This paper formulates and studies a model of delayed impulsive Hopfield neural networks. Several fundamental issues such as global exponential stability, existence and uniqueness of the equilibrium of such networks are established. A numerical example is given for illustration and interpretation of the theoretical results.
Journal Article↗
Correlates of suicidal behavior in a juvenile detention population.
The present study identifies the correlates of current suicidal ideation and past suicide attempt among 555 adolescents in a county juvenile detention center. Suicidal behavior in delinquent boys was generally associated with depression and decreased social connection, whereas suicidal behavior in delinquent girls was associated with impulsivity and instability. Current ideation was most significantly associated with current depression. In multivariate analyses, past attempts were associated with suicidal ideation and ineffective coping for males, with major life events and impulsivity for females, and with not residing with at least one biological parent prior to detention for both males and females.
Adolescent↗
Tryptophan hydroxylase genotype is associated with impulsive-aggression measures: a preliminary study.
To assess the relationship between two phenotypes in an extremely well-characterized population of personality disorder patients-impulsive aggression and prolactin response to fenfluramine-and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) genotype, TPH genotype (at an intronic polymorphic site) and prolactin response to fenfluramine were assessed in 40 Caucasian patients with personality disorder. Impulsive aggression was assessed by using the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI). Twenty-one male patients with the "LL" genotype had higher BDHI scores than men with the "UL" or the "UU" genotype. No relationship between genotype and prolactin response to fenfluramine was found. It was concluded that impulsive-aggressive behavior in male personality disorder patients may be associated with the TPH genotype.
Adult↗
Familial correlates of reduced central serotonergic system function in patients with personality disorders.
BACKGROUND: To test the hypothesis that evidence of reduced central serotonergic (5-HT) system function in probands with personality disorders is associated with an elevated morbid risk of psychopathological conditions putatively associated with 5-HT dysfunction in first-degree relatives of these probands. METHODS: Data were collected during a study of the 5-HT correlates of behavior in male patients with DSM-III personality disorders conducted at a Veterans Affairs medical center. Probands in this study were selected from those patients who had undergone both a fenfluramine hydrochloride challenge and a family history assessment. Axis II diagnosis were made according to DSM-III criteria after a structured interview of the proband, using the Structured Interview for Diagnosing Personality Disorders, given by two raters and a similar interview with a knowledgeable informant by another rater. RESULTS: Reduced prolactin responses to the 5-HT releasing/uptake inhibiting agent fenfluramine was associated with an elevated morbid risk of impulsive personality disorder traits in the first-degree relatives of patients with a primary DSM-III diagnosis of a personality disorder. Quantitative scores on assessments of impulsive aggression in the probands were not correlated with an increased morbid risk for impulsive personality disorder traits. A trend in the same direction was noted for affective personality disorder traits and alcoholism. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a central 5-HT system abnormality in probands is associated with an increased risk of impulsive aggression in their first-degree relatives, and that assessment of central 5-HT system function in probands may be a more sensitive parameter for identification of this familial trait than the presence of impulsive aggressive behaviors in the proband.
Aggression↗
Regular voluntary exercise reduces anxiety-related behaviour and impulsiveness in mice.
We embarked on a study to delineate the behavioural changes in mice after 4 weeks of voluntary exercise. As an initial behavioural characterization, we exposed the control and exercising mice to a modified hole board and an open field test. As compared to control mice, exercising animals showed clear signs of increased behavioural inhibition (e.g. a longer latency to enter unprotected areas), suggesting increased anxiety in these animals. In addition, the exercising mice were reluctant to spend time in the open field's centre during the beginning of the 30-min open field test, but compensated for this at later times. Paradoxically, the exercising animals showed more rearings on the board of the modified hole board, indicating decreased anxiety. Thus, the behavioural inhibition seen in exercising mice is likely to represent decreased stress responsiveness at the behavioural level which can also be interpreted as reduced impulsiveness. To clarify whether voluntary exercise evolves in more or less anxiety-related behaviour, we exposed animals to the elevated plus-maze and the dark-light box, two selective tests for unconditioned anxiety. Clearly, compared to the control animals, exercising mice spent significantly more time on the open arm of the plus-maze and spent double the amount of time in the light compartment of the dark-light box. Taken together, we conclude that long-term voluntary exercise appears to result in decreased anxiety-related behaviour and impulsiveness. Thus, our observations fit into the concept that regular exercise strengthens endogenous stress coping mechanisms, thereby protecting the organism against the deleterious effects of stress.
Adaptation, Psychological↗
The effect of lithium on luteinizing hormone and testosterone in man.
Serum luteinizing hormone and testosterone were determined weekly during the course of a comparison of the effects of lithium versus placebo on impulsive aggressive behavior in 16-24 year-old male prisoners. The duration of drug treatment for each individual was up to 3 months. A significant reduction of serious agressive behavioral incidents occurred in the third month on lithium and was accompanied by a significant rise in serum luteinizing hormone, with no change in serum testosterone.
Adolescent↗
Brain serotonin, type II alcoholism and impulsive violence.
There is ample evidence that low CSF 5-HIAA concentration is associated with a tendency to exhibit impulsive violent behavior under the influence of alcohol. This is especially true for subjects who fulfill criteria for psychiatric diagnoses often associated with early onset alcoholism such as antisocial personality disorder and intermittent explosive disorder. Brain serotonin turnover as indicated by CSF 5-HIAA concentration does not correlate with CSF free testosterone concentration. The latter is more strongly associated with outward-directed aggressiveness and lack of socialization than impulsiveness. CSF ACTH concentration on the other hand correlates positively with socialization.
Aggression↗
Spontaneous talkers among students with learning disabilities: implications of right cerebral dysfunction.
Experimental studies and clinical observations have indicated that right-hemisphere lesions produce impulsive talkative behavior. An exploratory study was conducted to investigate whether right-cerebral dysfunction would be evident in the intelligence test scores of talkative students with learning disabilities. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.
Attention↗
A risk-taking "set" in a novel task among adolescents with serious conduct and substance problems.
OBJECTIVE: Adolescent patients' conduct disorder and substance use disorder symptoms are "risky behaviors" with unpredictable rewards and punishments. The authors asked whether such youths also take excessive risks in new situations without prior learning, peer pressure, or intoxication. METHOD: Subjects were 20 adolescent patients in a program treating conduct disorder and substance use disorder and 20 controls. All were substance free > or =7 days; underwent substance-related, psychological, and social assessments; and performed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task: mouse presses inflated a computerized "balloon" image, each press earning 1 cent. The 30 balloons "popped" at unpredictable sizes; earnings from popped balloons were lost. A "Collect" response saved current earnings and advanced to the next balloon. RESULTS: Mean number of inflating presses: patients, 1021 and controls, 705 (p = .001); group differences were stable from the task's beginning. Mean inflating presses before a "collect" response: patients, 38.6 and controls, 24.0 (p = .0005). Mean balloons popped: patients, 9.8 and controls, 6.3 (p = .001). Patients (versus controls) reported more aggressiveness and substance use and perceived less risk from substances. Patients' responses were significantly slower than those of controls. CONCLUSIONS: From the beginning of this novel task, conduct disorder and substance use disorder patients (compared with controls) took more risks, indicating an initial risk-taking propensity, although patients' slower responses argued against "impulsive, thoughtless" behavior.
Adolescent↗