Circadian preference and trait impulsivity, sensation-seeking and response inhibition in healthy young adults

Abstract

Circadian preference has been considered related with impulsivity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between circadian typology and impulsivity measured by the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS), sensation-seeking measured by the Sensation Seeking Scale - Form V (SSS-V) and response inhibition elicited by the GO/NO-GO paradigm. A total of 503 Korean healthy college students (288 males and 215 females) completed the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM) for circadian typology and the BIS and SSS-V for impulsivity and risk taking, respectively. A subset of 142 subjects additionally performed the computerized GO/NO-GO task for motor response inhibition. A significant association was found between the circadian typology of the CSM and impulsivity of the BIS and disinhibition of SSS-V. In addition, there was a difference in trend level between the circadian typology and response inhibition elicited by the GO/NO-GO test. Regarding circadian preference, evening types were significantly associated with higher impulsivity on the BIS, disinhibition on the SSS-V and lower rate of successful inhibition on the GO/NO-GO task compared to morning types. The present results showed significant relationships between circadian preference and impulsivity and sensation-seeking personality traits. In particular, our findings suggest that high impulsivity, disinhibition and impaired response inhibition are more related to evening types. Circadian preference might be associated with psychiatric problems interacting with some aspects of personality traits such as inhibitory control.

Preliminary Evidence That Real World Sleep Timing and Duration are Associated With Laboratory‐Assessed Alcohol Response

“…In contrast, among White participants overall, later sleep timing was associated with increases in relative stimulation only after beverage consumption, more consistent with the consummatory (or “liking”) aspects of reward (Berridge and Robinson, ). While needing replication using more targeted measures of reward (e.g., Drug Effects Questionnaire in examination of alcohol response; Morean et al., ), such findings add to the broader literature linking eveningness preference to altered reward function (Caci et al., ; Hasler et al., ; Kang et al., ; Tonetti et al., ) and greater endorsement of drinking motives to enhance pleasure (Digdon and Landry, ).…”

“…Evening chronotypes may experience a differential response to alcohol as these individuals appear to have altered reward function. However, findings are mixed regarding whether this manifests as hypo‐ or hypersensitivity to reward, with findings of both increased sensation seeking and novelty seeking (Caci et al., ; Kang et al., ; Tonetti et al., ), and reduced reward responsiveness (Hasler et al., ). Neuroimaging evidence also suggests that evening chronotypes exhibit altered neural response to reward that is relevant to alcohol involvement (Hasler et al., , ).…”

“…Eveningness may be characterized by greater impulsivity and risk‐taking, independent of alcohol consumption. Evening chronotypes endorse higher levels of general impulsivity on self‐report measures (Adan et al., ; Caci et al., ; Kang et al., ; Russo et al., ), but studies using task‐based measures of risk‐taking (the Balloon Analogue Risk Task) or behavioral disinhibition (cued go/no‐go task) reported no chronotype differences (Killgore, ) or equivocal results (Kang et al., ), respectively. Greater variability in sleep timing has not been directly examined in relation to impulsivity or behavioral disinhibition.…”

Eveningness among late adolescent males predicts neural reactivity to reward and alcohol dependence 2 years later

“…In both adolescent and young adult samples, evening-types (or late circadian preferences) score higher on measures tapping a range of reward-related constructs, such as impulsivity (4, 5), impulsive sensation seeking (6), sensation and novelty seeking (7), and risky decision-making (8). Evening-types also show altered daily rhythms in positive affect, ostensibly a manifestation of the reward system (9, 10).…”

Strong personalities` profiles related to gender and marital status in a healthy population of students – a case-study

“…Personality traits in relation with genetic or environmental factors were frequently approached in medical literature (Kang et al, 2014, Dinger et al, 2014. Strong personalities were approached especially in psychiatry.…”