Measuring Impulsivity and Modeling Its Association With Cigarette Smoking

Abstract

Two types of behavioral measure are primarily used to examine impulsivity in humans and animals: Go/No-go tasks to assess inhibition and relative preference tasks to assess delay aversion. Several examples of each type of task are described so that common cognitive processes and variables affecting performance can be identified. Data suggest that smokers are more impulsive on each of these impulsivity measures than nonsmokers. Several models can be proposed to account for this group difference: (a) the differences predate and, possibly, are causally related to the initiation of cigarette smoking; (b) higher levels of impulsivity are associated with continued smoking, either through an association with heightened positive subjective effects of nicotine or heightened negative effects of nicotine abstinence (withdrawal); (c) nicotine causes neuroadaptations that result in elevated impulsivity in smokers. Studies relating to each of these models are reviewed, and it is concluded that all three models may contribute to the observed higher levels of impulsivity in smokers. However, pertinent studies are limited and additional systematic research is needed.

Behavioral Inhibition and Addiction

“…Some research also has used these tasks to examine inhibitory control in smokers, but the results have not been consistent. Mitchell (2004) found that smokers made more commission errors on a go/no-go task compared with nonsmokers, and that this indicator of behavioral disinhibition might be a risk factor, evident prior to the onset of smoking. However, Dawkins et al (2009) compared abstinent smokers to continuing smokers and found that abstinence led to poorer performance on measures of attention but not on the measures from a continuous performance task.…”

Effect of impulsivity on craving and behavioral reactivity to smoking cues

“…Moreover, more impulsive smokers have increased difficulty quitting (Doran et al 2004). However, relatively few studies have examined factors that might explain the association between impulsivity and cigarette smoking, and the precise nature of the relationship remains unclear (Mitchell 2004). The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that heightened impulsivity is associated with increased responsivity to environmental smoking cues.…”

Neuropsychological function and delay discounting in methamphetamine-dependent individuals

“…This phenomenon has been demonstrated in users of tobacco (e.g., Mitchell 1999;Bickel et al 1999), alcohol (e.g., Petry 2001, heroin (e.g., Kirby et al 1999;Madden et al 1997), and cocaine (Monterosso et al 2001;Coffey et al 2003). It is unclear whether increased impulsivity is a risk factor that predates the initiation of drug use or a neuroadaptation to chronic substance use that might improve with abstinence (Mitchell 2004). Research using animal models supports both hypotheses, though relevant data gathered for human subjects is currently lacking.…”