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Impulsivity

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Animal Models of Drug Addiction

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 53))

Abstract

Impulsivity is a multifaceted behavioural trait commonly linked to drug abuse and addiction involving rash or risky behaviour and a strong tendency towards spur-of-the-moment, poorly judged decisions and actions. At its core, impulsivity arises through an inability to adequately suppress or inhibit inappropriate behaviour and by a general intolerance to delayed gratification, a tendency also widely found in abstinent drug addicts. Despite intensive research, however, it remains unclear whether impulsivity arises from neural abnormalities produced by the chronic exposure of individuals to drugs such as alcohol and cocaine (‘state impulsivity’) potentially via interactions with medial temporal lobe and frontal cortical structures (e.g., amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex) or whether instead ‘trait impulsivity’ and brain disorders linked to it – for example, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – predispose to drug use and addiction. This chapter considers both possibilities from a neural systems and psychological perspective drawing on evidence from animal models and clinical research.

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Acknowledgements

The work reviewed in this chapter was funded by grants from the MRC (G0401068, G0600196, G0701500, G0802729), the Wellcome Trust (076274/z/04/z) and by a consortium joint award from the MRC and Wellcome Trust (G0001354) within the Cambridge University Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute. AB was supported by a studentship from the MRC.

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  1. Department of Experimental Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Andrea Bari & Trevor W. Robbins

  2. Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA

    Jeffrey W. Dalley

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  1. Andrea Bari
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  2. Trevor W. Robbins
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  3. Jeffrey W. Dalley
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Correspondence to Jeffrey W. Dalley .

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  1. , Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Arch Street 62, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Ontario, Canada

    Mary C. Olmstead

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Bari, A., Robbins, T.W., Dalley, J.W. (2011). Impulsivity. In: Olmstead, M. (eds) Animal Models of Drug Addiction. Neuromethods, vol 53. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-934-5_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-934-5_14

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