title: Sensation seeking and executive deficits in relation to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use frequency among university students: Value of ecologically based measures.
abstract: The development of substance use and addiction has been linked to impaired executive function which relies on systems that converge in the prefrontal cortex. This study examined several measures of executive function as predictors of college student alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use frequency and abuse.
  
  
  
  College students (N=321) were administered the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) test battery, the Sensation Seeking Scale V (SSSV), the Frontal Systems Behavioral Scale (FrSBe), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND).
  
  
  
  Alcohol use frequency was predicted by sensation seeking and FrSBe Disinhibition scores, but the latter only emerged as a unique predictor for binge drinking frequency. Sex and Disinhibition, Apathy and Executive Function FrSBe subscales predicted the frequency of tobacco use. FrSBe scores uniquely predicted tobacco use among daily users. Marijuana use frequency was predicted by sensation seeking, sex, perceived stress, and FrSBe Disinhibition scores, but only sensation seeking predicted daily use after controlling for other variables. FrSBe Disinhibition scores reached levels considered to be clinically significant for frequent binge drinkers and daily marijuana users. Sensation seeking emerged as the predominate predictor of the early stages of alcohol and tobacco related problems.
  
  
  
  These results suggest ecologically based self-report measures of frontal lobe function and sensation seeking are significant predictors of use frequency among college students and the extent of frontal dysfunction may be clinically significant among some heavy users.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, United States. Electronic address: Meil@iup.edu.
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Meil
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, United States.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: LaPorte
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, United States.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.affiliation: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs Program, Center for Health and Well-Being, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, United States.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sesti
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, United States.
authors.forename: Sunshine M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, United States.
authors.forename: Alyssa G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Stiver
mesh_terms: D000067292:Alcohol Drinking in College / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000523:psychology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000074609:Marijuana Use / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol use; Executive function; Marijuana use; Sensation seeking; Tobacco use