Impulsivity, compulsivity, and top-down cognitive control.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Impulsivity, acting without foresight, has distinct behavioral and neurobiological forms linked to cortico-striatal circuits.
• Its causal role in human drug addiction remains unclear, despite common associations with various substance use disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To neurobehaviorally and neurochemically characterize a rodent model of impulsivity using premature responding in an attentional task.
• To investigate the predictive relationship between this impulsivity endophenotype and subsequent cocaine self-administration, compulsive seeking, and relapse.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a rodent model assessing premature responding on an attentional task to quantify impulsivity.
• Surveyed evidence linking high impulsivity scores to cocaine self-administration escalation, compulsive-seeking behavior, and relapse tendencies.

Main Results:

• High impulsivity on the attentional task preceded escalated cocaine self-administration in rodents.
• Elevated impulsivity was associated with increased compulsive cocaine-seeking and a higher propensity for relapse.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest that impulsivity, specifically the premature responding endophenotype, may confer vulnerability to stimulant addiction.
• This research has implications for understanding the etiology, progression, and potential treatment strategies for drug addiction.