Does impulsivity increase the risk of developing a pathological condition?

Background: With the term addiction, the scientific community refers to a psychopathological category related to a rather variable series of addictions to different substances and behaviors, among which we can find common generic elements. The most important part in the definition of addiction is represented by the continuous research for gratification. The psychopathological manifestation of the disease consists of three key symptoms: craving, relapse and loss of control (impulsivity). Discovering and studying a factor of vulnerability in the development towards this psychopathology would certainly represent a goal and would have both predictive and explanatory importance. Methods: This short review is an attempt to explore impulsivity concept and its relations with addiction, in particular cocaine addiction. Results: In literature, there are numerous studies that indicate the excessive amount of impulsivity and the non tendency to control impulses as pre-existing factors and possible predictors of vulnerability for the development of an addiction. Furthermore, some neurocognitive studies have shown how cocaine-addicted subjects show more impulsivity towards both movements (impulsive action) and, cognitively, in the decision-making capacity (impulsive choice). Conclusions: It is rather common to find higher impulsivity traits in gamblers than in the general population; therefore, this trait could represent an important risk factor and predisposition to the development of a clinical picture of dependence.