Behavioral Impulsivity and Risk-Taking Trajectories Across Early Adolescence in Youths With and Without Family Histories of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders

Abstract

Background Youths with family histories of alcohol and other drug use disorders (FH+) are at increased susceptibility for developing substance use disorders relative to those without such histories (FH−). This vulnerability may be related to impaired adolescent development of impulse control and elevated risk-taking. However, no previous studies have prospectively examined impulse control and risk-taking in FH+ youth across adolescence. Methods A total of 386 pre-adolescents (305 FH+, 81 FH−; ages 10–12) with no histories of regular alcohol or other drug use were compared on behavioral measures of impulsivity including delay discounting, response initiation (Immediate Memory Task), response inhibition impulsivity (GoStop Impulsivity Paradigm), and risk-taking (Balloon Analogue Risk Task-Youth). Youths completed these laboratory tasks every 6 months, allowing for examination of 10–15 year olds. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to characterize the development of impulse control and risk-taking as shown in performance of these tasks throughout adolescence. Results We found that: (1) FH+ youths had increased levels of delay discounting and response inhibition impulsivity at study entry; (2) regardless of FH status, all youths had relatively stable delay discounting across time, improvements in response inhibition and response initiation impulsivity, and increased risk-taking; and (3) although FH+ youths had increased response inhibition impulsivity at pre-adolescence, these differences were negligible by mid-adolescence. Conclusions Heightened delay discounting in FH+ pre-adolescents coupled with normal adolescent increases in risk-taking may contribute to their increased susceptibility towards problem substance use in adolescence.

Binge drinking and family history of alcoholism are associated with an altered developmental trajectory of impulsive choice across adolescence

“…Additionally, our findings suggest that despite those with greater FHD initially demonstrating greater impulsive choice, this effect becomes negligible, and may in fact reverse, across development in those that remain alcohol-naïve. This is consistent with longitudinal work showing that the association between FH+ and greater impulsive choice diminished across early adolescents in alcohol-naïve individuals (42). Further, our results showed that ultimate binge-drinking status on its own, or in interaction with FHD, was not associated with baseline impulsive choice.…”

Rapid transition from drinking to alcohol dependence among adolescent and young-adult newly incident drinkers in the United States, 2002–2013

“…If study strengths counterbalance weaknesses of the type just mentioned, an initial point of discussion might be a possibility that youthful alcohol dependence may reflect poor decision-making more than loss of control over alcohol (Dawson et al, 2008; Hooper et al, 2004), and perhaps can be traced to greater impulsivity among adolescents generally (Dougherty et al, 2015; Steinberg et al, 2008). If so, age-appropriate interventions with focus upon decision-making might be important for all underage drinkers, especially when rapid-onset alcohol dependence problems become apparent.…”

Risk-Taking, Delay Discounting, and Time Perspective in Adolescent Gamblers: An Experimental Study

“…The lack of studies examining the relationship between problem gambling and risk-taking in adolescence is even more surprising, given that adolescents tend to engage in more risky behavior than adults (Steinberg 2004(Steinberg , 2007(Steinberg , 2008. From a developmental perspective, there is a temporal imbalance between the slow maturation of circuitry underlying the ability to control impulses and the faster development of circuitry responsible for impulsive and reward-seeking behaviors (Blakemore and Robbins 2012;Dougherty et al 2015;Ernst et al 2006;Ernst and Fudge 2009;Geier and Luna 2009;see also Potenza 2013). This is most probably the reason why adolescence is a period of vulnerability for the engagement in risky behaviors (Figner et al 2009;Spear 2000;Steinberg 2010).…”