The Development of Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking: Associations with Substance Use among At-Risk Adolescents.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Wasserman AM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7738371 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:PurposeAlthough impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and part-time employment have each been linked to risky behaviors in adolescents, their inter-relationships are less well-understood. We examined data from adolescents to assess the following predictions: (1) sensation-seeking would relate closely to substance use and gambling; (2) impulsivity would relate closely to alcohol, drug, and gambling problems; and (3) these relationships would be particularly strong among those holding part-time jobs.MethodHigh-school students (N = 3,106) were surveyed to provide data on impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and part-time job status. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships with gambling, substance use (i.e., alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana) and related problems.ResultsBoth impulsivity and sensation-seeking related significantly to substance use and impulsivity to gambling. Impulsivity had stronger associations with drug and gambling problems than sensation-seeking did. Students with paid part-time jobs were more likely to drink alcohol, binge drink, and use marijuana. Sensation-seeking had a particularly strong relationship to heavy cigarette smoking among students with part-time jobs. Conversely, there was little relationship between part-time job status and smoking among low sensation-seekers.ConclusionsThese findings further support the relevance of sensation-seeking, impulsivity, and part-time job status to risky behaviors among adolescents. Sensation-seeking and impulsivity had unique relationships to risky behaviors, in accordance with theory and prior evidence. Impulsive adolescents may be in particular need for interventions to reduce drug use and gambling. Although part-time jobs can be beneficial, parents and caregivers should be mindful of potential negative ramifications of paid work outside the home.
| S-EPMC4048016 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Adolescent substance use carries a considerable public health burden, and early initiation into use is especially problematic. Research has shown that trait sensation seeking increases risk for substance use initiation, but less is known about contextual factors that can potentially unmask this risk. This study utilized a diverse longitudinal subsample of youth (N?=?454) from a larger study of familial alcoholism (53.1% female, 61% non-Hispanic Caucasian, 27.8% Hispanic, 11.2% other ethnicity). Study questions examined sensation seeking in early adolescence (mean age?=?12.16) and its relations with later substance use initiation (mean age?=?15.69), and tested whether neighborhood disadvantage moderated sensation seeking's effects on initiation of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Neighborhood disadvantage significantly moderated the relation between sensation seeking and all three forms of substance use. For the most part, sensation seeking effects were weakened as neighborhood disadvantage increased, with the most advantaged neighborhoods exhibiting the strongest link between sensation seeking and substance use initiation. These results highlight the importance of focusing on relatively advantaged areas as potentially risky environments for the sensation seeking pathway to substance use.
| S-EPMC5563476 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSeason of birth (SOB) has been associated with many physiological and psychological traits including novelty seeking and sensation seeking. Similar traits have been associated with genetic polymorphisms in the dopamine system. SOB and dopamine receptor genetic polymorphisms may independently and interactively influence similar behaviors through their common effects on the dopaminergic system.Methodology/principal findingsBased on a sample of 195 subjects, we examined whether SOB was associated with impulsivity, sensation seeking and reproductive behaviors. Additionally we examined potential interactions of dopamine receptor genes with SOB for the same set of traits. Phenotypes were evaluated using the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, the Eysenck Impulsivity Questionnaire, the Sensation Seeking Scale, and the Delay Discounting Task. Subjects were also asked about their age at first sex as well as their desired age at the birth of their first child. The dopamine gene polymorphisms examined were Dopamine Receptor D2 (DRD2) TaqI A and D4 (DRD4) 48 bp VNTR. Primary analyses included factorial genderxSOB ANOVAs or binary logistic regression models for each dependent trait. Secondary analysis extended the factorial models by also including DRD2 and DRD4 genotypes as independent variables. Winter-born males were more sensation seeking than non-winter born males. In factorial models including both genotype and season of birth as variables, two previously unobserved effects were discovered: (1) a SOBxDRD4 interaction effect on venturesomeness and (2) a DRD2xDRD4 interaction effect on sensation seeking.ConclusionThese results are consistent with past findings that SOB is related to sensation seeking. Additionally, these results provide tentative support for the hypothesis that SOB modifies the behavioral expression of dopaminergic genetic polymorphism. These findings suggest that SOB should be included in future studies of risky behaviors and behavioral genetic studies of the dopamine system.
| S-EPMC2075470 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThis study examined changes in substance use from adolescence to young adulthood as related to adolescents' risk taking, sensation seeking, antisocial activities, and personality traits.MethodsChilean youth (N = 890, 52% female) were studied in adolescence (14.5 and 16.2 years) and young adulthood (M age 21.3 years). Risk taking was assessed via a laboratory-based performance task (Balloon Analogue Risk Task), and self-administered questionnaires assessed sensation seeking, antisocial behaviors, personality and substance use.ResultsFrequent involvement in sensation seeking and antisocial activities were associated with increased odds of continued marijuana use from adolescence to young adulthood and of illicit substance use at young adulthood. High risk taking was associated with a reduced likelihood of discontinuing marijuana use at young adulthood, and high agreeableness and conscientiousness were associated with reduced likelihood of new onset marijuana use and illicit substance use at young adulthood.ConclusionsResults highlight specific risk-taking tendencies and personality characteristics that relate to initiating, continuing, or discontinuing substance use at entry into adulthood. Sensation seeking and involvement in antisocial activities were the two foremost risk factors for continued use, which is a forecaster of drug dependence. Findings suggest potential prevention and intervention targets for abstaining from or discontinuing substance use as youth transition to adulthood.
| S-EPMC7368834 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A youth version of the UPPS Impulsivity Scale (UPPS-R-C) was previously shown to predict drinking initiation among pre-adolescents. The goals of the current study were to confirm the structure of the UPPS-R-C using a sample of treatment-seeking adolescents and to examine the scales' relations with alcohol use, marijuana use, and problems related to substance use.Participants (N=120; ages 12-18; M=15.7) completed questionnaires at treatment intake. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the UPPS-R-C was conducted using a 5-factor model with factors corresponding to negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation, and sensation seeking. Relations between UPPS-R-C factors and binge drinking, marijuana use, and problems resulting from substance use were examined using path analysis.CFA suggested the 5-factor model provided adequate fit to the data. The hypothesized path model was partially supported, positive urgency was associated with frequency of binge drinking, and both negative urgency and frequency of binge drinking was associated with problems due to substance use. Other hypothesized paths were not significant. Although not hypothesized, negative urgency was associated with frequency of marijuana use and lack of perseverance was associated with problems due to use.Results suggest that the UPPS-R-C can be used with a treatment-seeking sample of adolescents. Furthermore, negative urgency, positive urgency, and lack of perseverance may be indicative of more severe substance use problems in a treatment setting.
| S-EPMC4799694 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Young adulthood is a peak period for externalizing behaviors such as substance abuse and antisocial conduct. Evidence from developmental neuroscience suggests that externalizing conduct within this time period may be associated with a "developmental asymmetry" characterized by an early peak in sensation seeking combined with a relatively immature impulse control system. Trait measures of impulsivity-sensation seeking and premeditation-are psychological manifestations of these respective systems, and multiple prior studies suggest that high sensation seeking and low premeditation independently confer risk for distinct forms of externalizing behaviors. The goal of the present study was to test this developmental asymmetry hypothesis, examining whether trait premeditation moderates the effect of sensation seeking on substance use and problems, aggression, and rule-breaking behavior. Using a cross-sectional sample of college-enrolled adults (n = 491), we applied zero-inflated modeling strategies to examine the likelihood and level of risky externalizing behaviors. Results indicated that lower premeditation enhanced the effect of higher sensation seeking on higher levels of positive and negative alcohol consequences, more frequent drug use, and more problematic drug use, but was unrelated to individual differences in antisocial behaviors. Our findings indicate that the developmental asymmetry between sensation seeking and a lack of premeditation is a risk factor for individual differences in problematic substance use among young adults, and may be less applicable for antisocial behaviors among high functioning individuals.
| S-EPMC10064834 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The A1 allele of the TaqIA polymorphism (rs1800497) in the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) has been associated with substance use. It is unclear whether this allele is a marker for an underlying propensity for specifically developing a substance use disorder, or more generally to developing an externalizing psychiatric disorder highly correlated with substance use. It is also possible that DRD2 is related to a behavioral phenotype common to externalizing disorders and substance use.Data was obtained from 104 psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents in a larger assessment study. Adolescents were genotyped for the DRD2 TaqIA site, grouped as carriers of the A1 allele (A1+) or homozygous for the A2 allelle (A1-). Associations of the presence of the A1 allele with externalizing disorders, the intermediate phenotype of impulsivity, and measures of alcohol and drug use were examined.A diagnosis of conduct disorder and impulsive behavior were both associated with severity of problem drinking and/or drug use. Further, interaction effects were found between the DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism and conduct disorder (trend level) as well as A1+ status and impulsivity, such that adolescents who were carriers of the A1 allele, and had conduct disorder or impulsive behavior, reported higher levels of problematic alcohol use than those who were non-carriers (A2/A2 or A1-). The same interaction effect between this polymorphism and impulsivity was found for severity of problem drug use. In contrast, no interaction effects were found between the DRD2 allele status and ADHD on severity of problem drinking or drug use.These results suggest that the well documented relationship between conduct disorder, the behavioral phenotype of impulsivity, and problematic alcohol/drug use among adolescents may be moderated by A1 carrier status of the DRD2 gene.
| S-EPMC2706288 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Some of the genetic vulnerability for addiction may be mediated by impulsivity. This study investigated relationships among impulsivity, substance use problems and six neurexin-3 (NRXN3) polymorphisms. Neurexins (NRXNs) are presynaptic transmembrane proteins that play a role in the development and function of synapses.Impulsivity was assessed with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Version 11 (BIS-11), the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS) and the TIME paradigm; alcohol problems with the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST); drug problems with the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-20); and regular tobacco use with a single question. Participants (n=439 Caucasians, 64.7% female) donated buccal cells for genotyping. Six NRXN3 polymorphisms were genotyped: rs983795, rs11624704, rs917906, rs1004212, rs10146997 and rs8019381. A dual luciferase assay was conducted to determine whether allelic variation at rs917906 regulated gene expression.In general, impulsivity was significantly higher in those who regularly used tobacco and/or had alcohol or drug problems. In men, there were modest associations between rs11624704 and attentional impulsivity (p=0.005) and between rs1004212 and alcohol problems (p=0.009). In women, there were weak associations between rs10146997 and TIME estimation (p=0.03); and between rs1004212 and drug problems (p=0.03). The dual luciferase assay indicated that C and T alleles of rs917906 did not differentially regulate gene expression in vitro.Associations between impulsivity, substance use problems and polymorphisms in NRXN3 may be gender specific. Impulsivity is associated with substance use problems and may provide a useful intermediate phenotype for addiction.
| S-EPMC3254149 | biostudies-literature
Project description:According to dual-system theory, instrumental learning and performance depend on the balance between goal-directed and habitual action control. Overreliance on habits has been argued to characterize clinical conditions such as drug addiction or obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as obesity and excessive impulsivity. A tendency toward habitual action control in obesity has already been indicated in the food domain. However, impairments might not be restricted to eating behavior. This has been suggested by domain-general obesity-associated disturbances in executive function as well as alterations in corticostriatal circuits underlying the goal-directed and habitual systems. In this study we examined the balance of goal-directed and habitual action control in a sample of normal-weight, overweight, and obese participants (n = 105) using the slips-of-action test in a non-food context. We tested for continuous or group-based associations between body weight status (BMI) and the devaluation sensitivity index (DSI), a parameter representing the balance of the goal-directed and habitual systems in action control. As personality differences in the domain of impulsivity might affect this relationship, we also examined whether the interaction between BMI and self-reported impulsivity, based on the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, was related to the DSI. In addition to that, we tested for direct, i.e., weight status independent, relationships between UPPS subdomains of impulsivity and the DSI. We failed to find evidence for a relationship between weight status and sensitivity to devaluation as indexed by the DSI. However, independent of weight status, we observed lower sensitivity to devaluation in sensation seekers, a subtype of impulsivity. To conclude, behavioral flexibility in the sense of disturbances in the balance between the habitual and goal-directed systems seems to be unaffected by weight status in a non-food context. Consequently, stimuli and behavior might not be generally excessively linked in overweight or obesity. However, according to ceiling effects we cannot rule out subtle effects the paradigm was not able to disentangle. Further, future studies are needed to clarify the role of specific subtypes of obesity (e.g., food addiction). The indicated habit propensity in sensation seekers may account for previous reports of weak avoidance behavior and risky decision making.
| S-EPMC5099246 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Differences in fronto-striatal connectivity in problem substance users have suggested reduced influence of cognitive regions on reward-salience regions. Youth with a family history of alcoholism (FH+) have disrupted ventral striatal processing compared with controls with no familial risk (FH-). As sensation-seeking represents an additional vulnerability factor, we hypothesized that functional connectivity during reward anticipation would differ by family history, and would mediate the relationship between sensation-seeking and drinking in high-risk subjects.Seventy 18-22 year olds (49 FH+/21 FH-) performed a monetary incentive delay task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Group connectivity differences for incentive (reward/loss) vs. neutral conditions were evaluated with psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis, seeded in nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Indirect effects of sensation-seeking on drinking volume through accumbens connectivity were tested.NAcc connectivity with paracentral lobule/precuneus and sensorimotor areas was decreased for FH- vs. increased for FH+ during incentive anticipation. In FH+, task-related functional coupling between left NAcc and supplementary sensorimotor area (SSMA) and right precuneus correlated positively with sensation-seeking and drinking volume and mediated their relationship. In FH-, left NAcc-SSMA connectivity correlated negatively with sensation-seeking but was not related to drinking.These results suggest preexisting differences in accumbens reward-related functional connectivity in high-risk subjects. NAcc coupling with SSMA, involved in attention and motor networks, and precuneus, a default mode structure, appear to mediate sensation-seeking's effect on drinking in those most at-risk. Differences in accumbens connectivity with attention/motor/default networks, rather than control systems, may influence the reward system's role in vulnerability for substance abuse.
| S-EPMC3546225 | biostudies-literature