A multifactorial and integrative approach to impulsivity in neuropsychology: insights from the UPPS model of impulsivity

Abstract

Risky and excessive behaviors, such as aggressive and compulsive behaviors, are frequently described in patients with brain damage and have dramatic psychosocial consequences. Although there is strong evidence that impulsivity constitutes a key factor at play in these behaviors, the literature about impulsivity in neuropsychology is to date scarce. In addition, examining and understanding these problematic behaviors requires the assumption that impulsivity is a multidimensional construct. Consequently, this article aims at shedding light on frequent risky and excessive behaviors in patients with brain damage by focusing on a unified, comprehensive, and well-validated model, namely, the UPPS model of impulsivity. This model considers impulsivity as a multidimensional construct that includes four facets: urgency, (lack of) premeditation, (lack of) perseverance, and sensation seeking. Furthermore, we discuss the psychological mechanisms underlying the dimensions of impulsivity, as well as the laboratory tasks designed to assess each mechanism and their neural bases. We then present a scale specifically designed to assess these four dimensions of impulsivity in patients with brain damage and examine the data regarding this multidimensional approach to impulsivity in neuropsychology. This review supports the need to adopt a multifactorial and integrative approach toward impulsive behaviors, and the model presented provides a valuable rationale to disentangle the nature of brain systems and mechanisms underlying impulsive behaviors in patients with brain damage. It may also foster further relevant research in the field of impulsivity and improve assessment and rehabilitation of impulsive behaviors in clinical settings.

The neurobiology of impulsivity and substance use disorders: implications for treatment

“…Lack of premeditation has been associated with decreased gray matter volumes in the insula and putamen and postulated to relate to the efficacy of decision‐making processes . Lack of perseverance or lack of conscientiousness is linked to impaired anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) function, and the left ventrolateral and left anterior prefrontal cortices, relating to risky behaviors . Finally, sensation seeking has been associated with activation of regions related to motivation, arousal, and reinforcement such as the posterior medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and insula .…”

Impulsividad y conciencia del problema predicen la adherencia terapéutica y el abandono del tratamiento en el trastorno por juego de azar

“…En este sentido, el modelo UPPS-P del comportamiento impulsivo Whiteside, Lynam, Miller y Reynolds, 2001) ha mostrado ser más ventajoso que otras mediciones de la impulsividad, en términos de capacidad discriminativa y de correspondencia con sistemas psicobiológicos disociables (Rochat, Billieux, Gagnon y Van der Linden, 2017). A pesar de su valor teórico innegable, otros métodos de valoración alternativos basados en tareas neuropsicológicas o de toma de decisiones (por ejemplo, Torres et al, 2013aTorres et al, , 2013b, arrojan asociaciones muy modestas con herramientas de autoinforme, incluso para muestras muy grandes (Cyders et al, 2011;MacKillop et al, 2016).…”

Disentangling the role of users’ preferences and impulsivity traits in problematic Facebook use

“…In this regard, the UPPS-P (Urgency-Premeditation-Perseverance-Sensation seeking-Positive urgency) model of impulsivity [36,37] measures five impulsivity facets: (1) negative urgency, defined as the tendency to act rashly while faced with intense negative emotional contexts; (2) premeditation, defined as the tendency to take into account the consequences of an act before engaging in that act; (3) perseverance, defined as the ability to remain focused on a task that may be boring and/or difficult; (4) sensation seeking, considered as the tendency to enjoy and pursue activities that are exciting and openness to trying new experiences; and (5) positive urgency, defined as the tendency to act rashly while faced with intense positive emotional contexts. In the last decade, this model has proven to be a relevant theoretical framework to elucidate the associations between specific impulsivity traits and various forms of psychiatric disorders and problematic behaviors and thus became a dominant model in the field of psychopathology [38] and neuropsychology [39]. However, to date, the UPPS model has not been used to explore the links between specific impulsivity facets and problematic use of SNSs.…”