Laura Mauer, Cheng-Chang Yang, Najat Khalifa

Abstract

Several of the disorders categorised in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) are marked by impulsivity, including borderline and antisocial personality disorders, attention deficit hy­peractivity disorder, conduct disorder and substance use disorders, just to name a few. The behavioural manifestations of impulsivity are numerous (e.g., su­icidality, reckless spending, criminality, acting out on positive or negative emotions), often with undesirable consequences for the individuals involved and others. The knowledge base in respect of the neurobiological underpinnings of impulsivity has expanded signifi­cantly over the past few decades, providing the im­petus to develop specific interventions to target im­pulsivity. Noninvasive brain stimulation techniques, such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), have been used to modulate impulsivity with promising results. This article aims to provide a brief overview of the literature in the field before addressing the implications for future research and clinical practice.

Keyword(s): impulsivity, TMS, tDCS, noninvasive brain stimulation, response inhibition, delay discounting.
DOI: 10.5200/sm-hs.2018.050
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