Impulsivity in bipolar and substance use disorders

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Bipolar disorder (BD) is frequently linked to heightened impulsivity, persisting even during euthymic phases.
• Impulsivity plays a role in the onset and continuation of substance use disorders (SUD).
• Impulsivity may predispose individuals to substance abuse or arise as a consequence of it, often independent of mood state.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare impulsivity levels between individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) and substance use disorders (SUD).
• To identify potential differences in impulsivity traits between these two patient groups.

Main Methods:

• The study evaluated impulsivity using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11A).
• Participants included 35 male patients with interepisode BD without comorbid SUD and 40 male patients with SUD.
• One-way between-groups ANOVA was used to compare BIS-11A mean scores between the two groups.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between BD and SUD groups in total, attentional, or motor impulsivity.
• A notable difference emerged in nonplanning impulsivity among male patients.
• Male BD patients scored significantly higher on nonplanning impulsivity than male SUD patients.

Conclusions:

• Both interepisode BD and SUD patients demonstrate elevated total impulsivity, confirming previous research.
• Trait impulsivity is not uniform across all subscales; BD and SUD groups showed similarities in attention and motor impulsivity.
• Bipolar disorder patients exhibited greater nonplanning impulsivity compared to substance use disorder patients.