Journal
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
Volume 68, Issue 8, Pages 770-773Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.06.015
Keywords
BIS-11; endophenotypes; impulsivity; sensation-seeking; substance dependence; vulnerability marker
Categories
Funding
- Medical Research Council
- Wellcome Trust
- MRC [G0701497] Funding Source: UKRI
- Medical Research Council [G0001354, G0001354B, G0701497] Funding Source: researchfish
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Background: Genetic factors have been implicated in the development of substance abuse disorders, but the role of pre-existing vulnerability in addiction is still poorly understood. Personality traits of impulsivity and sensation-seeking are highly prevalent in chronic drug users and have been linked with an increased risk for substance abuse. However, it has not been clear whether these personality traits are a cause or an effect of stimulant drug dependence. Method: We compared self-reported levels of impulsivity and sensation-seeking between 30 sibling pairs of stimulant-dependent individuals and their biological brothers/sisters who did not have a significant drug-taking history and 30 unrelated, nondrug-taking control volunteers. Results: Siblings of chronic stimulant users reported significantly higher levels of trait-impulsivity than control volunteers but did not differ from control volunteers with regard to sensation-seeking traits. Stimulant-dependent individuals reported significantly higher levels of impulsivity and sensation-seeking compared with both their siblings and control volunteers. Conclusions: These data indicate that impulsivity is a behavioral endophenotype mediating risk for stimulant dependence that may be exacerbated by chronic drug exposure, whereas abnormal sensation-seeking is more likely to be an effect of stimulant drug abuse.
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