Impulsivity and Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct that should be assessed in a variety of ways. Using either rating scales or neuropsychological tests alone will not likely yield a comprehensive representation of TBI patients' impulsive behaviors. In vivo observation in the clinical setting showed strong ability to identify impulsivity in the presence of global deficits.

Are you able not to react to what you hear? Inhibition behavior measured with an auditory Go/NoGo paradigm

“…They illustrate relations with different tasks measuring executive functions and point towards inhibition and attention as potential functions involved in performance in the auditory Go/ NoGo paradigm. The correlations we found among the auditory Go/NoGo paradigm and other executive tasks were similar to correlation patterns found in studies using visual Go/NoGo paradigms (Barbarotto et al, 1998;Langenecker et al, 2007;Morooka et al, 2012;Votruba et al, 2008). Thus, the task seems to measure a facet of executive functions, as intended.…”

“…Langenecker et al (2007) found that better performance in the visual Go/NoGo is associated with better performance in the aforementioned tasks. This in line with other empirical studies that indicated consistent correlations of these tasks with the Go/NoGo paradigm (Barbarotto et al, 1998;Konishi et al, 1999;Morooka et al, 2012;Steinmetz & Houssemand, 2011;Votruba & Langenecker, 2013;Votruba et al, 2008). Also Konishi et al (1999) found similar activation in inferior prefrontal areas during the inhibition of Go trials as well as in the WCST.…”

Definition of Impulsivity and Related Terms Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review of the Different Concepts and Measures Used to Assess Impulsivity, Disinhibition and other Related Concepts

“…Behavioral and emotional changes, dyscontrol, lack of impulse control are only a few other examples. Also, depending on the definition of impulsivity and the dimensions one aims to assess, certain measures might be more relevant than others in order to identify impulsivity [ 10 ]. It should also be noted that different dimensions of impulsivity have been linked to different types of detrimental outcomes.…”

Factor structure, construct validity, and age- and education-based normative data for the Parametric Go/No-Go Test

“…It has since been used to study different healthy and clinical populations, including healthy older adults as compared to healthy younger adults (Langenecker, Briceno, et al, 2007; Langenecker & Nielson, 2003; Langenecker, Nielson, & Rao, 2004; Nielson et al, 2002; Nielson et al, 2003) and patients with psychiatric disorders, traumatic brain injury, and stroke (Giel et al, 2012; Langenecker et al, 2005; Langenecker, Caveney, et al, 2007; Langenecker, Kennedy, et al, 2007; Ryan et al, 2012; Votruba et al, 2008; Votruba, Rapport, Whitman, Johnson, & Langenecker, in press). Traditional clinical measures such as the Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST) and Part B of the Trail Making Test, as well as standard continuous performance tests, are commonly used in these populations to assess executive functioning.…”

“…In contrast, the PGNG task has been found to correlate strongly with other measures of executive functioning yet possesses the ability to specifically distinguish individuals with and without clinical manifestations of impulsivity by analysis of individual and factor variables. For example, Votruba et al (2008) found that go/no-go task (GNG) reaction times and the percentage of correct responses were strongly related to other global measures of interference (Stroop) and executive functioning (Trails B and WCST), as well as more specific in vivo measures of motoric impulsivity following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Further, Collins and Long (1996) found that a combination of a simple reaction time task and GNG choice reaction time task successfully discriminated between an impaired TBI group, a nonimpaired TBI group, and normal controls.…”