Effects of d-Amphetamine and ethanol on a measure of behavioral inhibition in humans.

Abstract

Little is known about the acute effects of psychoactive drugs on impulsivity and decision making in humans. This study examined the effects of d-amphetamine (AMP; 10 and 20 mg; N = 20) and ethanol (EtOH; 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 g/kg; N = 17) on the stop task, a putative measure of behavioral inhibition and impulsivity in healthy human volunteers. The stop task provides a measure of the reaction time (RT) needed to inhibit a response (Stop RT [SRT]), relative to the time taken to execute a simple response (Go RT [GRT]). Healthy volunteers performed the stop task before and after receiving one of the drugs. AMP decreased SRT-that is, improved inhibition-only in participants with slow baseline SRTs. EtOH increased SRTs-that is, impaired inhibition-at doses that did not affect GRTs. These results suggest that AMP and EtOH have specific and distinctive effects on the ability to inhibit responses. Impairment in the ability to inhibit responses is thought to reflect a certain form of impulsivity.

Cites (2)

1. Delay of gratification in children.
   Mischel, Walter, Shoda, Yuichi, Rodriguez, Monica L. · 1989 · Science
2. On the ability to inhibit thought and action: a theory of an act of control
   Logan, Gordon D., Cowan, William B. · 1984 · Psychological Review

Show all 2 references

Cited by (35)

1. Inhibition and impulsivity: behavioral and neural basis of response control
   Bari, Andrea, Robbins, Trevor W. · 2013 · Progress in Neurobiology
2. The reliability paradox: Why robust cognitive tasks do not produce reliable individual differences
   Hedge, Craig, Powell, Georgina, Sumner, Petroc · 2018 · Behavior Research Methods
3. Impulsivity as a determinant and consequence of drug use: a review of underlying processes
   de Wit, Harriet · 2009 · Addiction Biology
4. Drug addiction: updating actions to habits to compulsions ten years on
   Everitt, Barry J., Robbins, Trevor W. · 2016 · Annual Review of Psychology
5. The role of impulsive behavior in drug abuse
   Perry, Jennifer L., Carroll, Marilyn E. · 2008 · Psychopharmacology

See all 199