Does impulsivity predict risky alcohol

Abstract

Background and aim: Alcohol addiction risk is predisposed by both sociocultural and biological factors. The attenuation of brain reward system converged by environment, manifest in personality traits, that are typical to addiction disorders. As the substance use disorders are characterized by obsessive – compulsive pattern of use with loss of control, impulsivity is considered one of the main endophenotypes that increases addiction risk. This study aims to clarify the impact of several impulsivity dimensions to risky alcohol use. Methods and results: Three hundred seventy-five (160 males, mean age=37.78, SE=0.96; 215 females, mean age 36.42, SE=0.73) respondents were surveyed on risky alcohol use via Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Impulsivity and its dimensions were evaluated via Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11 (BIS-11). Dimensions of impulsivity and AUDIT correlate significantly for males: Attention r=0.38, p< 0.01, Cognitive Instability r=0.22, p<0.05, Motor Impulsivity r=0.29, p<0.01, Self-Control r=0.22, p<0.05, Cognitive Complexity r=0.28, p<0.01); and for females: Motor Impulsivity r=0.16, p<0.05, Cognitive Complexity r=0.20, p<0.05. Multiple regression analyses show that risky alcohol use is significantly associated with gender (p<0.05), explaining 20.5% of risky alcohol use variance (p<0.01) for males in Lithuanian population-based cohort. Conclusions: Results of partial correlations and multiple regression analyses show risky alcohol use significantly associated with impulsivity. Divergent findings of impulsivity association to risky alcohol use for genders suggest a different ways of pathogenesis. These findings are not surprising as in males ventral striatum dopaminergic neurons typically have greater reactivity to cue. Next, our focus are on dopaminergic system associated genes to determine impulsive endophenotype role in alcohol addiction risk.