title: Associations between regional brain physiology and trait impulsivity, motor inhibition, and impaired control over drinking.
abstract: Trait impulsivity and poor inhibitory control are well-established risk factors for alcohol misuse, yet little is known about the associated neurobiological endophenotypes. Here we examined correlations among brain physiology and self-reported trait impulsive behavior, impaired control over drinking, and a behavioral measure of response inhibition. A sample of healthy drinkers (n = 117) completed a pulsed arterial spin labeling (PASL) scan to quantify resting regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), as well as measures of self-reported impulsivity (Eysenck I7 Impulsivity scale) and impaired control over drinking. A subset of subjects (n = 40) performed a stop signal task during blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess brain regions involved in response inhibition. Eysenck I7 scores were inversely related to blood flow in the right precentral gyrus. Significant BOLD activation during response inhibition occurred in an overlapping right frontal motor/premotor region. Moreover, impaired control over drinking was associated with reduced BOLD response in the same region. These findings suggest that impulsive personality and impaired control over drinking are associated with brain physiology in areas implicated in response inhibition. This is consistent with the idea that difficulty controlling behavior is due in part to impairment in motor restraint systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weafer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dzemidzic
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Eiler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Oberlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute. Electronic address: dkareken@iu.edu.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kareken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology; D000068356:Self-Control; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; Cerebral blood flow; Inhibitory control; Stop task; fMRI