ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with impulse regulation problems. This study investigated subjective and behavioural impulsivity in women with anorexia nervosa (n=15) and a control group (n=16). METHOD: A self-report measure (the impulsiveness, venturesomeness, and empathy questionnaire; I(7)) and two behavioural measures (a continuous performance task [CPT]; and a novel risk taking measure [Bets 16]) of impulsivity were used along with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: The AN group had elevated BDI scores and lower self-reported impulsiveness and venturesomeness scores, but they also displayed impulsive behaviour on the CPT (more errors of commission with faster reaction times). DISCUSSION: The coexistence, in AN, of self-reported self-control and behavioural impulsivity indicates that the relationship between impulsivity and disordered eating in AN is more complex than previously recognised and supports the view that self-awareness in AN is low.
Subject(s)
Anorexia Nervosa/psychology , Impulsive Behavior/psychology , Internal-External Control , Adult , Anorexia Nervosa/epidemiology , Attention , Bulimia/epidemiology , Bulimia/psychology , Comorbidity , Empathy , England , Female , Humans , Impulsive Behavior/epidemiology , Neuropsychological Tests/statistics & numerical data , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Psychometrics/statistics & numerical data , Psychomotor Performance , Reaction Time , Reference Values , Risk-Taking , Statistics as TopicABSTRACT
The present study investigated characteristics of recreational drug users, especially 'ecstasy' (MDMA) users, in 254 undergraduates. All participants completed a drug history questionnaire (DHQ), the impulsiveness venturesomeness and empathy questionnaire, a novel risk-taking task (Bets16), and 59 also completed the tri-dimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ). DHQ responses allocated participants to five groups: non-drug controls, cannabis users, polydrug (no ecstasy) users, low (<20 occasions) ecstasy users and high (>20 occasions) ecstasy users. Eighteen percent of the sample had used ecstasy and of the ecstasy users, only one had not used other substances. A larger proportion of high ecstasy users had also used amphetamines, cocaine and LSD in comparison to the low ecstasy and non-ecstasy polydrug users. High ecstasy users typically took significantly more ecstasy tablets compared with low ecstasy users. Impulsiveness, venturesomeness and novelty seeking behaviour increased from the non-drug users to high ecstasy users. Ecstasy users (low and high) and polydrug (non-ecstasy) users had higher levels of impulsivity, venturesomeness and novelty seeking behaviour compared with non-drug users. Furthermore, high ecstasy users scored higher on the Bets16 risk-taking measure than non-drug users, cannabis users and low ecstasy users. The findings are discussed in relation to: (i) the possibility that increased impulsivity pre-dated drug use; and (ii) the possible link between impulsivity and the putative serotonergic neurotoxicity of ecstasy.
