Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Department of Psychology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.
Ann Behav Med. 2018 Apr 19;52(5):367-379. doi: 10.1093/abm/kax019.
Research suggests that deficits in both executive functioning and trait impulsivity may play a role in risky sexual behavior. At the neural level, differences in regulation of the prefrontal cortex have been linked to impulsivity, measured neurocognitively and through self-report. The relationship between neurocognitive measures of executive control and trait impulsivity in predicting risky sexual behavior has not been investigated.
To investigate the relationship between neural functioning during the Stroop task and risky sexual behavior, as well as the effect of individual differences in urgent (positive and negative) impulsivity on this relationship.
A total of 105 sexually active men who have sex with men completed the Stroop task during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. They also completed impulsivity inventories and self-reported their risky sexual behavior (events of condomless anal sex in the last 90 days).
Risky participants had greater activation than safe participants during the color congruent condition of the Stroop task in anterior cingulate cortex/dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left frontal pole, and right insula. Across these regions, this neural activation mediated the link between (positive and/or negative) urgent impulsivity and risky sexual behavior.
Findings suggest that the brains of men who engage in risky sexual behavior may employ a different distribution of cognitive resources during tasks of executive functioning than men who practice safe sex, and that this may relate to differences in the prefrontal cortical/fronto-insular system responsible for impulse control.
研究表明，执行功能和特质冲动性缺陷可能在风险性行为中起作用。在神经水平上，前额叶皮层调节的差异与冲动性有关，通过神经认知和自我报告来衡量。神经认知测量的执行控制与特质冲动性在预测风险性行为方面的关系尚未得到研究。
调查 Stroop 任务期间的神经功能与风险性行为之间的关系，以及个体在紧急（正性和负性）冲动性方面的差异对这种关系的影响。
共有 105 名活跃的男男性行为者在功能磁共振成像扫描期间完成了 Stroop 任务。他们还完成了冲动性量表，并报告了他们在过去 90 天内的风险性行为（无保护肛交事件）。
风险参与者在 Stroop 任务的颜色一致条件下比安全参与者在前扣带皮层/背内侧前额叶皮层、背外侧前额叶皮层、左侧额极和右侧脑岛有更强的激活。在这些区域，这种神经激活介导了（正性和/或负性）紧急冲动性与风险性行为之间的联系。
研究结果表明，从事风险性行为的男性在执行功能任务中可能会使用不同的认知资源分布，而从事安全性行为的男性则不会，这可能与负责冲动控制的前额叶皮层/额眶皮层系统的差异有关。
