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Impulsive individuals tend to display aggressive behavior and havechallenges ranging from drug and alcohol abuse, to problem gamblingand difficult relationships. They are less able to adapt todifferent social situations. Impulsivity is also a common featureof psychiatric disorders. New research in Biological Psychiatryshows that people may react this way, in part, because they havelower levels of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), the most importantinhibitory neurotransmitter, in a specific part of their braininvolved in regulating self-control. "Advances in brain imaging techniques mean we are able toinvestigate different and specific areas of the human brain and seehow they regulate people's behavior," explained Dr. Frederic Boy,who led the research. "What is clear is that the way people behaveresults from a complex interaction between a number of genetic,social and environmental factors." The scientists studied males with no history of psychiatricdisorders or substance dependence, who completed a questionnairewhich helped assess different aspects of impulsivity, an importantcomponent of self-control. They underwent a specialized magneticresonance spectroscopy brain scan, an imaging technique that allowsmeasurement of the amount of GABA in small regions of the brain. The team found that men with more GABA in their dorsolateralprefrontal cortex had lower scores in one aspect of impulsivitycalled the "feeling of urgency", the tendency to act rashly inresponse to distress or other strong emotions and urges. Inversely,men with lower GABA tended to have higher urgency ratings. Thesefindings add to evidence that "low GABA may be a risk factor forcortical dysfunction across a number of disorders, as depression and panic disorder are associated with low cortical GABA,"commented Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry, whichpublished the research. These findings may also hold true in women,but women were not included in this study due to the possibleeffect of natural hormonal fluctuations. The authors note that the next stages of research need to focus onfurther disentangling this relationship between GABA and thedorsolateral prefrontal cortex. "After that we can start evaluatingwhether there's any way in which we could treat a GABA deficit inthis area. I suspect this could be difficult, as GABA is presentthroughout the brain, and raising the level indiscriminately mayhave all sorts of unforeseen consequences," said Dr. Boy. "Theother area which needs further research is whether GABA levels inthe dorsolateral prefrontal cortex fluctuate over time, as thisstudy is simply a snapshot of levels on one given day." This futureresearch will be important to help further uncover the linksbetween behavior and possible cortical dysfunction. Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Bag Hanger Stand , Two way Shoe Stretcher for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits PP Non Woven Fabric.
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