Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25555481›Full record

ArticleBiological psychiatry2015

The genetics of impulsivity: evidence for the heritability of delay discounting.

Andrey P Anokhin, Julia D Grant, Richard C Mulligan, Andrew C Heath

Abstract readTwin Study
In one paragraph

Article in Biological psychiatry, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
69citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

69 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Delay discounting of different outcomes: Review and theory.Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior · 2020
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. The Genoeconomics of Impulsive Intertemporal Choice: A Critical Review.Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Genetic and Phenotypic Associations of the Polygenic Score of Delay Discounting and Life History Traits.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Framing as a mechanism to overcome the temptation of bad habits.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2025
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Selective chemogenetic inactivation of corticoaccumbal projections disrupts trait choice impulsivity.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2023
    Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Dopamine D2 receptors in nucleus accumbens cholinergic interneurons increase impulsive choice.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2023
    Article

9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Andrey P AnokhinDepartment of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. Electronic address: andrey@wustl.edu.
Julia D GrantDepartment of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Richard C MulliganDepartment of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Andrew C HeathDepartment of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.

Funding

Resource CoreP60AA011998 · NIAAA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI NELSON, ELLIOT C · 2009 to 2013
$8.8M
NEUROCOGNITION, GENETICS, AND ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE ABUSER01DA018899 · NIDA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI ANOKHIN, ANDREY P. · 2004 to 2015
$4.9M
NEUROCOGNITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF UNDERAGE DRINKINGR01AA016812 · NIAAA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI ANOKHIN, ANDREY P. · 2008 to 2012
$1.6M
Linking Genetics, Brain, and Behavior to Understand Addiiction VulnerabilityK02DA027096 · NIDA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI ANOKHIN, ANDREY P. · 2009 to 2013
$559k
NIAAA NIH HHS P60 AA011998NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA016812NIDA NIH HHS DA018899NIDA NIH HHS DA027096NIDA NIH HHS K02 DA027096NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA018899
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDelay discounting (DD), a decline in the subjective value of reward with increasing delay until its receipt, is an established behavioral model of impulsive choice, a key component of a broader impulsivity construct. Greater DD, i.e., a tendency to choose smaller immediate over larger delayed rewards, has been implicated as a potential intermediate phenotype (endophenotype) for addictive disorders and comorbid externalizing psychopathology, particularly in adolescence. However, genetic and environmental origins of DD remain unclear. Accordingly, the goal of the present study was to assess heritability of DD, an important aspect of its utility as an endophenotype.

methodsA commonly used computerized procedure involving choice between varying amounts of money available immediately and a standard amount of $100 presented at variable delays was administered to a population-based sample of twins aged 16 and 18 (n = 560, including 134 monozygotic and 142 dizygotic pairs). DD was quantified using area under the discounting curve and the k coefficient estimated by fitting a hyperbolic model to individual data. Heritability was assessed using linear structural equation modeling of twin data.

resultsThe genetic analysis revealed significant heritability of both DD measures (area under the discounting curve: 46% and 62%; k: 35% and 55% at age 16 and 18, respectively).

conclusionsThe present study provides evidence for heritability of both model-based and model-free DD measures and suggests that DD is a promising intermediate phenotype for genetic dissection of impulsivity and externalizing spectrum disorders.

Indexed as

AdolescentDelay DiscountingFemaleHumansImpulsive BehaviorMalePhenotypeRewardDecision makingDelay discountingEndophenotypeHeritabilityRewardTwins

Identifiers

PMID25555481
PMCPMC4416979

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.