Neuropsychological correlates of impulsivity and sensation seeking

The goal of the present research is to elucidate specific neuropsychological and behavioral factors that underlie antisocial behaviors. The constructs of sensation seeking, impulsivity, and callousness were examined for their relationship with neuropsychological performance on frontal measures of impulsivity, planning, decision-making, and risk taking. In the existing literature, it remains unclear whether sensation seeking is an independent construct from impulsivity, or whether it is simply one facet of impulsivity. To address this, we evaluated the relationship of these two traits to neuropsychological testing. A total of 34 healthy undergraduate students completed four self-report inventories [Sensation Seeking Scale-V (SSS), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS), UPPS-P, Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU)] pertaining to sensation seeking, impulsivity, and callous-unemotional traits, as well as several neuropsychological tasks [Trails B, Stroop, Tower of London-DX, Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART)]. We found that self-report scores in sensation seeking, impulsivity, and callous-unemotional traits showed significant, moderate to large correlations with one another. Associations with neuropsychological performance varied among these traits. Most notably, a stepwise linear regression model indicated that higher sensation seeking has a significant association with greater risk-taking on the BART. This study adds to the limited existing literature on the neuropsychology of ASPD-spectrum traits and has implications for future research involving the BART.