Genetic relationship between impulsivity and nicotine abuse

Impulsivity has been defined as “actions which are poorly conceived, prematurely expressed, unduly risky or inappropriate to the situation, and that often result in undesirable consequences”. Impulsivity is a major risk factor for smoking. In particular, impulsivity influences both the decision to begin smoking and the inability to quit. We are examining the genetic factors that cause some people to be more impulsive than others. By understanding these individual differences, we will be able to better understand why some individuals are at greater risk to begin smoking and will have more trouble quitting. Such information will allow prevention and cessation treatments to be tailored to individual differences, including individual genetic differences. We will collect the largest sample size ever used to address this topic. We will then explore these data using cutting edge techniques that will allow us to identify specific genes that confer risk for impulsivity and will also allow us to understand the role of impulsivity in smoking, other forms of substance abuse, and other consequences of impulsivity such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity.