A multifactorial and integrative approach to impulsivity in neuropsychology: Insights from the UPPS model of impulsivity

Risky and excessive behaviors, such as aggressive and compulsive behaviors, are frequently
described in patients with brain damage and have dramatic psychosocial consequences.
Although there is strong evidence that impulsivity constitutes a key factor at play in these
behaviors, the literature about impulsivity in neuropsychology is to date scarce. In addition,
examining and understanding these problematic behaviors requires the assumption that
impulsivity is a multidimensional construct. Consequently, this article aims at shedding light
on frequent risky and excessive behaviors in patients with brain damage by focusing on a
unified, comprehensive, and well-validated model, namely, the UPPS model of impulsivity
(Whiteside & Lynam, 2001). This model considers impulsivity as a multidimensional
construct that includes four facets: urgency, (lack of) premeditation, (lack of) perseverance,
and sensation seeking. Furthermore, we discuss the psychological mechanisms underlying the
dimensions of impulsivity, as well as the laboratory tasks designed to assess each mechanism
and their neural bases. We then present a scale specifically designed to assess these four
dimensions of impulsivity in patients with brain damage and examine the data regarding this
multidimensional approach to impulsivity in neuropsychology. This review supports the need
to adopt a multifactorial and integrative approach toward impulsive behaviors, and the model
presented provides a valuable rationale to disentangle the nature of brain systems and
mechanisms underlying impulsive behaviors in patients with brain damage. It may also foster
further relevant research in the field of impulsivity and improve assessment and rehabilitation
of impulsive behaviors in clinical settings.