Impulsivity in abstinent alcohol and polydrug dependence: a multidimensional approach

Eleanor Taylor, Anna Murphy, Venkat Boyapati, Karen D. Ersche, Remy Flechais, Shankar Kuchibatla, John McGonigle, Antonio Metastasio, Liam J. Nestor, Csaba Orban, Filippo Passetti, Louise Paterson, Dana Smith, John Suckling, Roger Tait, Anne Lingford-Hughes, Trevor W. Robbins, David J. Nutt, J. F. William Deakin, Rebecca Elliott

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Rationale
Dependence 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.

Objectives
We 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.

Methods
Data 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.

Results
AbDs 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.

Conclusions
The 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.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1487-1499
Number of pages13
JournalPsychopharmacology
Volume233
Issue number8
Early online date25 Feb 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2016
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Impulsivity in abstinent alcohol and polydrug dependence: a multidimensional approach'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this