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Adaptive and maladaptive impulsivity, platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and risk-admitting in different types of risky drivers

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Abstract

Rationale

Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity reflects serotonergic functioning associated with impulsive behaviour, but the significance of these associations to real-life impulsive behaviour in healthy subjects is not clear.

Objectives

The present study explores impulsivity and platelet MAO activity among people with driving violations.

Materials and methods

We compared facets of impulsivity and platelet MAO activity in 1,004 male drivers, out of whom 203 had been caught by the police driving drunk and 292 had been caught exceeding speed limits and committing other non-alcohol-related driving violations. Subjects with speeding and other non-alcohol-related violations were further divided according to their self-reported risk-admitting of exceeding speed limits.

Results

While drunk driving was associated only with maladaptive types of impulsivity, exceeding speed limits was associated with functional impulsivity and excitement seeking and, to a lesser degree, with dysfunctional impulsivity. Drunk drivers had lower platelet MAO activity. Risk-admitting high-risk drivers had higher platelet MAO activity, neuroticism-related impulsivity, dysfunctional impulsivity and excitement seeking compared to all other groups and higher functional impulsivity compared to controls. Risk-denying high-risk drivers had only higher functional impulsivity compared to controls.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates different expressions of functional and dysfunctional impulsivity in behaviour. While platelet MAO activity is lower in alcohol-related risky behaviour, non-alcohol-related self-acknowledged risky behaviour is related to higher platelet MAO activity. Thus, deviance towards lower as well as higher end of central serotonergic functioning may lead to impulsive behaviour. While self-reported impulsivity did not correlate with MAO activity, both MAO activity and impulsivity were related to risky behaviour.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Estonian Science Foundation (grant 5450), the Estonian Ministry of Education and Science (grant 2643), and the Estonian Road Administration (grants LSOPH01030 and LSOPH02038). Marika Paaver was a scholarship holder of the World Federation of Scientists during the period of the study. We are thankful to Dr Toomas Ernits for organisational assistance and Krista Fischer, Ph.D. for statistical advice. The research complies with the current laws in Estonia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tiigi 78, 50410, Tartu, Estonia

    Marika Paaver & Jaanus Harro

  2. Department of Public Health, Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 19, 50411, Tartu, Estonia

    Diva Eensoo

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Tallinn, Narva 25, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia

    Aleksander Pulver

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  1. Marika Paaver
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  2. Diva Eensoo
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  3. Aleksander Pulver
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  4. Jaanus Harro
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Correspondence to Jaanus Harro.

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Paaver, M., Eensoo, D., Pulver, A. et al. Adaptive and maladaptive impulsivity, platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and risk-admitting in different types of risky drivers. Psychopharmacology 186, 32–40 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0325-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0325-3

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