Everyone will, at some point in their lives, engage in an action others may consider “impulsive.” Whether a moment of anger or an instance where one does not think before acting, impulsivity is a behavior that generally results in negative consequences. Within the context of normal functioning, adults are expected to make deliberate decisions, impeding the effects of impulsivity. However, impulsivity is implicated as a symptom in multiple cognitive or psychological disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, and depression/mania. Impulse control disorder (ICD) has been characterized as a condition where individuals have difficulty in managing their behaviors in a productive way. Within ICD, many people co-express other conditions or symptoms, such as substance abuse or overeating. For example, patients with impulsivity conditions may be more likely to get involved in addictive behaviors or develop metabolic conditions (i.e, obesity or diabetes). Because impulsivity is often associated with harmful consequences, it becomes important to study how the brain regulates impulsive behaviors.
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In order to study impulsivity, researchers aim to find regions of interest within the brain that control these types of behaviors. Once these areas are found, scientists can develop drugs that can slow down the activity of these specific regions. In a recent study, researchers at the University of Southern California identified a brain circuit, a group of brain cells (neurons) that send signals to each other, that may explain impulsivity in regards to binge eating and obesity. They found that when they used medications to activate a brain circuit between the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that controls hormone release in multiple areas of the body) and the hippocampus (the part of the brain in charge of memory storage and recall), rats engaged in more impulsive behaviors (specifically in regards to eating). This indicates that modulating the activity of this brain region can have a direct impact on behavioral responses for food. Going forward, investigators will need to use imaging techniques to see if this pathway is similar in humans. However, this provides a basis of evidence that can be used to develop drugs or therapies that target the hypothalamus-hippocampus axis to help individuals control food impulsivity behaviors.
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