The current study aimed to examine whether people with less healthy lifestyles take more risks in traffic, and whether impulsivity and the serotonin transporter genotype could mediate or moderate such associations. First author Dr Tõnis Tokko (University of Tartu, Estonia) explained psychological, genetic, and biochemical data were obtained from the Estonian Psychobiological Study of Traffic Behaviour (EPSTB) as well as police and insurance records. A sample of 817 drivers (50.8% women, mean age 36.6 years) of the EPSTB participated in the study. They filled out lifestyle questionnaires to measure factors such as impulsivity and aggression, and underwent a series of blood tests and genetic analyses.
Numerous associations –but not causalities– were found between everyday risk taking and risky driving. For example, participants who consumed energy drinks at least once a week were twice as likely to exceed speed limits as those who consumed energy drinks less often (14.6% vs 7.5%; χ2=7.21; P=0.007). Dr Tokko suggested that energy drink consumption may be related to a need for excitement, rather than the drinks themselves being a direct cause of traffic violations. The drivers’ underlying psychological makeup may lead them to speed in traffic and to want to consume more energy drinks or junk food. Similarly, psychological tests showed that those with fast decision-making skills were 11% more likely to speed, and those with higher excitement seeking behaviour were 13% more likely to speed.
Moreover, the serotonin transporter gene promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been associated with impulsivity, alcohol use, speed limit exceeding, and traffic accidents. Genotyping revealed that 5-HTTLPR was not directly associated with speeding, but carriers of the 5-HTTLPR s-allele had higher AUDIT scores if they were junk food eaters and vice versa.
- Tokko T, et al. Unhealthy lifestyle is associated with risk-taking in traffic and moderated by the serotonin transporter gene promoter polymorphism. P.0318, ECNP 2021 Congress, 2–5 October.
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Table of Contents: ECNP 2021
Featured articles
Anxiety and Stress
Anxiolytic activity of a novel orexin-1 receptor antagonist
Autism
Finding biomarkers for improved patient stratification
Behavioural Disorders
Sex similarities and differences in the neurobiology of aggression
Risky driving and lifestyle may have a common psychobiological basis
Cannabidiol for cannabis cessation shows positive results
Somatic comorbidities of ADHD: epidemiological and genetic data
Novel approaches to understanding the social brain
COVID-19
Alcohol consumption during lockdown
Post-COVID-19 depression responds well to SSRIs
Impact of COVID-19 on patients with psychotic disorders
Mood Disorders
Depression and brain structures associations across a lifespan
BDNF/TrkB pathway promising alternative for new antidepressants
Zuranolone reduces symptoms of major depression
Vortioxetine effectively reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety
Esketamine outperforms real-world management for treatment-resistant depression: preliminary results
Smartphone interventions in bipolar disorder: a position paper
Connecting, challenging, and empowering youth through their smartphone
Personality Disorders
Evaluating vafidemstat for the treatment of borderline personality disorder
Deep brain stimulation effective in the treatment of refractory OCD
Psychotic Disorders
Why antipsychotics cause weight gain
Roluperidone improves negative symptoms in schizophrenia
Other
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Laxative may improve cognitive performance
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