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Jackie Andrade is a professor of psychology at the University of Plymouth. She has been researching the role of imagery and memory in clinical issues for over 30 years, with around 150 publications on topics ranging from obesity and addiction to post-traumatic stress disorder and awareness in anaesthesia. She is known for her theoretical work on drug and food cravings, supported by extensive laboratory and field research, and for co-developing functional imagery training for health behaviour change.Theories of motivation often pit ‘willpower’ against ‘temptation’, with impulsivity viewed as a habitual lack of willpower. I shall argue that these concepts can be better explained in a single cognitive theory. In the Affective Imagery Theory of Motivation (AIToM), emotionally charged mental imagery drives behaviour towards short-term and long-term goals, including those associated with cravings and temptations. When goals conflict, behaviour selection involves a competition between the relative affective strength of competing motivations at that moment, a competition that familiar short-term rewards often win because they are easier to imagine vividly.I shall present evidence consistent with AIToM, including psychometric and experimental evidence that Drug cravings and other temptations involve imagery and are weakened by concurrent cognitive loads.Motivation for long-term goals also involves imagery and fluctuates according to competing motivations.Functional imagery training (FIT) uses these ideas to strengthen motivation by incorporating personalised mental imagery training into motivational interviewing. Goal imagery is used to strengthen motivation, and steps imagery is used to develop an action plan and build confidence to enact it. Clients are encouraged to practice a combined steps-to-goal image by pairing imagery with behavioural cues that serve as reminders. The aim is to build a habit of focusing on goal imagery at decision pointsIn a randomised controlled trial on weight loss, FIT performed substantially better than motivational interviewing. Participants lost 4.5kg after 4h of FIT spread over 6 months and continued to lose another 2kg on average in the next 6 months unsupported. Participants receiving time-matched motivational interviewing lost under 1kg in the same 12m period. FIT has also outperformed waitlist and active controls in studies of anxiety, resilience, and athletic performance.In conclusion, we can reduce impulsivity and strengthen ‘willpower’ by eliciting personal goal imagery and training the ability to shift attention away from temptation imagery towards this goal imagery. Functional imagery training is a brief transdiagnostic intervention that does this.

Background: The short S-UPPS-P is a 20-item self-report tool for assessing impulsivity in adolescents, differentiating five dimensions: Negative Urgency, Lack of Perseverance, Lack of Premeditation, Sensation Seeking, and Positive Urgency. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish S-UPPS-P and to establish normative data for adolescents in Spain. Method: Participants were 8,944 adolescent students (ages 11-19) from 66 high schools and 789 adolescent psychotherapy patients from 7 centers. Results: The expected 5-factor model, evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), showed insufficient fit (CFI and TLI ≤ .90, RMSEA = .076). However, an exploratory approach yielded satisfactory results (CFI and TLI ≥ .97, RMSEA ≤ .036), with full measurement invariance across age, gender and sample type. Internal consistency reliability ranged from moderate to excellent (ω = .67-.82). Convergent validity with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale total score was satisfactory (r = .47-.59). No significant differences in scale scores were observed across gender, age, or sample type, providing the use of a single norm. Conclusions: These findings support the S-UPPS-P as a valid, reliable tool for assessing impulsivity in Spanish adolescents. The availability of standardized norms enhances its utility in clinical and educational contexts.

Background:Loot boxes (LBs) are virtual objects that players open without knowing the value of the item they will obtain. Because of their features, studies have explored their association with gambling, finding commonalities. However, risk factors have been overlooked. This study examined risk factors associated with gambling as applied to LBs (gambling in the past year, having family/friends who use LBs/gamble, trait impulsivity, and sensation-seeking). Method:253 participants (82.2% men) with a mean age of 28 years (SD= 12.11)—in three groups: gamblers (n= 89), LB purchasers (n= 63), and free-LB openers (n= 101)—completed a self-report. Results:Having family/friends who used LBs was related to increased engagement in opening LBs at no cost. However, having gambled in the past year or having family/friends who used LBs or who gambled was not associated with increased purchasing. Gamblers, LB purchasers, and LB openers scored equally highly on impulsivity and sensation-seeking. Because some gamblers used LBs, and LB purchasers also opened free-LBs, further analyses were performed to control for the effects of overlapping groups. Loot boxers had higher scores in sensation-seeking than gamblers. Conclusions:The results can contribute to the development of prevention and intervention strategies for LB users.

Purpose of Review In this article, we review and integrate the extant literature on problematic social media use (PSMU) and impulsivity. We present this literature organized by methodology, in which researchers used surveys or behavioral tasks to measure either general impulsivity or specific facets of impulsivity. Recent Findings We found 17 publications overall which investigated the relationship between PSMU and some aspect of impulsivity across 21 studies. These studies generally demonstrate positive associations between PSMU and impulsivity, in that individuals with greater PSMU also demonstrate greater general impulsivity, or a facet of impulsivity (e.g., attentional impulsivity, impulsive choice, etc.). However, some aspects of impulsivity display mixed findings in relation to PSMU. Summary Overall, PSMU is related to greater general impulsivity and certain facets of impulsivity. We also discuss limitations with the existing literature and potential future research investigating PSMU and impulsivity.

BackgroundImpulsive and irritable behaviour have been reported in HD from the earliest clinical descriptions of the condition, and abnormalities on various measures of impulsive behaviour have been demonstrated. However these studies had small sample sizes, and did not account for potential confounding effects in the HD population such as IQ and medication. Furthermore, the links between impulsive and irritable behaviour in HD remain unclear.AimsDetermine which cognitive mechanisms contribute to irritable behaviour in HDDetermine which aspects of impulsive behaviour are seen in HDMethods/TechniquesWe recruited HD patients and familial controls from the South Wales HD Service and performed a battery of established and novel cognitive tasks, including questionnaire measures of impulsive behavour and irritability (UPPSP, Barrett Impulsivity Scale, PBAs and Snaith), motor inhibition (stop signal task), delay discounting (Kirby instrument) and cognitive impulsivity (Iowa Gambling task). We also performed tasks of provocation (a previously reported task, and a novel task) to determine the relative contributions of impaired inhibition and excessive response to provocation in mediating irritability in HD.ResultsWe recruited 51 HD patients and 26 controls. We found differences in response to provocation and also impaired motor inhibition on the stop signal task in the HD population, even after correcting for relevant confounders such as IQ, medication, motor impairment and psychiatric comorbidity. However, only the response to provocation was associated with irritability in HD. The tasks of delay discounting, and cognitive impulsivity did not demonstrate any differences between HD patients and controls after controlling for relevant confounders.ConclusionsIrritability in HD is mediated by excessive response to provocation rather than the known impairments in motor inhibition. Other aspects of impulsivity to contribute to impulsive behaviour in HD.

IntroductionIn the past few years, there has been a considerable amount of evidence that cannabis use can cause structural and functional brain abnormalities.Structural imaging studies of cannabis users have revealed reduced prefrontal cortex volumes and white matter damage that may be involved with impulsivity.Objectives: To Determine the level of dependence on cannabis among cannabis users consulting the detoxification center of Sfax, Tunisia To assess in addition the impact of cannabis on impulsivity and motor control.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study that was conducted over a period of 13 months between September 15, 2020 and October 1, 2021 among cannabis users consulting the detoxification center of Sfax, Tunisia.A short form of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (the BIS-15) and a Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST) were used to assess impulsivity and to determine cannabis abuse.Results: Thirty Eight cannabis users agreed to participate in this study. The distribution of CAST scores showed that 36 users (94.7%) had problematic cannabis use at the time of the study. The mean BIS 15 score was 38.2. In our sample, The level of impulsivity was highest in people with a high level of cannabis dependence. A higher level of impulsivity was found in younger subjects. However, a greater level of impulsivity was found in subjects with a lower socio-economic level. Concerning employment status, unemployment was significantly correlated with a higher level of impulsivity.ConclusionsImpulsivity is often associated with a variety of problematic behaviors such as aggressive behavior, smoking, drug abuse, pathological gambling or compulsive buying.A higher frequency of cannabis use and earlier age of onset use have been shown to be associated with the highest rates of impulsivity.Therefore, cannabis addiction represents a real public health problem, both because of the serious complications and heavy repercussions that it causes.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Background: Stressful life events (SLEs), impulsivity, aggression, and hostility are known risk factors for suicide. The existence of an “I-A-H Triad” (composed of impulsiveness, aggressiveness and hostility) is proposed as a mediating factor between SLEs and suicide. Method: Data on 399 deceased people (274 from suicide, 125 from other causes) were collected through psychological autopsy. The Paul Ramsey Life Experience Scale (to collect SLE history), the Barrat Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) and the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory(BDHI) were applied, using versions adapted for psychological autopsy. Results: Comparative analysis of the two groups showed significant differences in the variables of interest (SLE: t = 7.280; BDHI: t = 4.201; BIS-11: t = 3.812; I-A-H Triad: t = 4.84). Mediation analysis confirmed the role of the I-A-H Triad in mediation of the presence of SLEs and the type of death. Conclusions: High levels of impulsivity, aggression, and hostility increase the risk of suicide when a person is faced with SLEs.

ObjectivesImpulsivity is a multifaceted construct that involves a tendency to act prematurely with little foresight, reflection or control. Waiting impulsivity is one aspect of action impulsivity and is commonly studied in animals using tasks such as the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT).1 It is neurochemically distinct from motor response inhibition defined as the ability to restrain or cancel a pre-potent motor response and measured with no-go and stop-signal tasks respectively.1 Serotonin modulates waiting impulsivity as decreased serotonergic transmission promotes premature responding in the rodent 5CSRT and the human analogue 4CSRT task.2 Potential mechanisms contributing to waiting impulsivity include proactive or tonic inhibition, motivational processes and sensitivity to feedback and delay.3 Higher waiting impulsivity in response to high reward cues was previously associated with greater subthalamic nucleus connectivity with orbitofrontal cortex and greater subgenual cingulate connectivity with anterior insula.4 MethodsWe administered a clinically relevant dose of escitalopram (20mg) in healthy subjects in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-groups design study and assessed its effect on waiting impulsivity using the well-validated 4CSRT task. Compared to previous studies,2 4 we added another test block with increased potential gain to assess the interaction between premature responding and reward processing. We recruited sixty-six healthy participants who completed an extensive neuropsychological test battery assessing probabilistic reversal learning, set-shifting, response inhibition, emotional processing and waiting impulsivity. Sixty participants (N=60, 26 females, 34 males) completed the 4CSRT task with N=30 in the escitalopram and N=30 in the placebo group, due to technical errors and experienced side-effects for the remaining six participants. The results of the other cognitive tasks are reported separately.5 ResultsEscitalopram increased premature responding in the high incentive condition of the 4CSRT task, p=.028, t= 2.275, this effect being driven by male participants, p=.019, t=2.532 (for females, p>.05). We further show that escitalopram increased premature responses after a premature response in the same block again in male participants only, p=.034, Mann-Whitney U= 61.500. We found no correlation between premature responding in the 4CSRT task, in any test block, and the Stop-signal reaction time, the primary measure of the stop-signal task completed by the same participants (reported in [5]).ConclusionsWe show that acute escitalopram increased premature responding in healthy male participants only in high incentive conditions potentially mediated potentially through an effect on increased incentive salience. We also show that acute escitalopram increased perseverative responding thus producing a maladaptive response strategy. We show no correlation between SSRT and premature responding in the same participants consistent with these two forms of impulsivity being neurochemically and anatomically distinct. We interpret our findings in the context of acute escitalopram decreasing serotonergic transmission in some brain areas through inhibitory actions on terminal 5-HT release mediated by auto-receptors on raphe 5-HT neurons analogous to the presumed transient reduction in 5-HT activity caused by ATD.5 Our findings provide further insights in the relationship of premature responding and reward processing and our understanding of pathological impulse control behaviours.References Eagle DM, Bari A, Robbins TW. The neuropsychopharmacology of action inhibition: cross-species translation of the stop-signal and go/no-go tasks. Psychopharmacology 2008;199(3):439456. Worbe Y, Savulich G, Voon V, Fernandez-Egea E, Robbins TW. Serotonin depletion induces waiting impulsivityon the human four-choice serial reaction time task: cross-species translational significance. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014;39(6):15191526. Voon V. Models of impulsivity with a focus on waiting impulsivity: translational potential for neuropsychiatric disorders. Current Addiction Reports 2014;1(4):281288. Mechelmans DJ, Strelchuk D, Doamayor N, Banca P, Robbins TW, Baek K, et al. Reward sensitivity and waiting impulsivity: shift towards reward valuation away from action control. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 2017;20(12):971978. Skandali N, Rowe JB, Voon V, Deakin JB, Cardinal RN, Cormack F, et al. Dissociable effects of acute SSRI (escitalopram) on executive, learning and emotional functions in healthy humans. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018;43(13):26452651.