Extremely impulsive manifestations occur in humans due to reduced activity of dopamine hormone receptors in the striatum of the brain, which leads to its excessive release of brain cells and may be associated with a predisposition of people to drugs, tobacco and alcohol, assured a group of scientists under the leadership of Joshua Bakholtsa From the University of Vanderbilt.

In their study, the researchers relied on the establishment that differences in the impulsiveness manifested by different people are associated with the work of the hormone dopamine in the brain. This hormone is a neurotransmitter, forcing neurons to activate and transmit electrical impulses, RIA Novosti notes.

The researchers decided to test this assumption on 32 volunteers. All of them were absolutely healthy mentally and physically. Each participant in the experiment performed a test for the propensity to impulsive behavior according to the Barratt's impulsiveness scale. In this case, participants took a small amount of stimulant - dextroamphetamine. Further, scientists using a tomograph monitored the amount of dopamine produced by the brain in response to stimulant intake, as well as the degree of assimilation of the released hormone by special dopamine receptors.

As a result, it was shown that the propensity to impulsive behavior was directly proportional to the amount of dopamine produced by the brain and inversely proportional to the degree of assimilation by its dopamine receptors D2. And increased excretion of dopamine in the brain of participants in the experiment was accompanied by their desire to repeat the experiment and get a new portion of the stimulant.

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