There is an extensive literature linking impulsivity to alcohol use and alcohol problems in human studies, as has been reviewed previously (e.g. Sher & Trull 1994; Congdon & Canli 2005; Verdejo-Garcia, Lawrence & Clark 2008). It is also well known that heavy alcohol use can trigger impulsive behavior (Jentsch & Taylor 1999; Goldstein & Volkow 2002). For example, Marczinski et al. (2005) reported that following alcohol administration in a challenge paradigm, commission errors in response engagement (i.e. key press responses) increased relative to placebo. In addition, studies of the development of the dependence process suggest that chronic, heavy alcohol consumption can lead to homeostatic dysregulation that could be expected to induce negative affect and weaken self-regulation (Koob & LeMoal 1997). That is, increasing levels of dependence can lead to decreasing levels of self-control. Thus, not only can alcohol act acutely to induce or magnify impulsive behavior, but it can also act chronically to increase the likelihood of impulsivity via the adaptive burden of what is termed allostasis.
