Research

How do we make decisions? What factors affect the way we behave?

Impulsivity has received a lot of attention in the context of addiction, but it also plays a vital role in our daily life as high levels of impulsivity are associated with lack of planning, risk-taking, and engaging in actions which often result in negative consequences. Aleksandra is interested in factors which modulate impulsive behaviours, such as mood or arousal. For example, it is well established that emotions have a great impact on the way we remember events or what information we focus attention on; however, little is known about the influence of emotions and mood on impulsive behaviours. A better understanding of modulators of impulsive behaviour could help identify risky states and support impulsive individuals as well as the general population. Therefore, during her PhD Aleksandra investigated how our current states, emotions and physiological arousal, impact impulsive behaviour and impulsive choice and what the mechanisms underlying these processes are. In order to study these Aleksandra used behavioural measures, mood and pharmacological manipulations, as well as neuroimaging techniques. 

Aleksandra's reasearch led to better undertending of the role of emotional and physiological influences on impulsive behaviours. Specifically, her findings demonstrate that a degree to which one’s internal (emotional or physiological) state changes, is associated with behavioural impulsivity level. Importantly, distinct dimensions of impulsivity are differentially sensitive to those changes. Namely, increased state level of physiological arousal is associated with decreased motor ‘stopping’ impulsivity, enhanced subjective ratings and objective measurements of arousal are also related to decreased temporal impulsivity. Increased ratings of stress and increased physiological arousal, however, are associated with higher reflection impulsivity. At the neural level, successful response inhibition requires enhanced activation of prefrontal and parietal areas in impulsive individuals, particularly in negative emotional context, suggesting that behavioural control might be more effortful for highly impulsive individuals.

Thus, changes in internal bodily state are related to behavioural impulsivity level. Staying more attuned to those changes and finding adaptive ways to adjust behaviour according to bodily needs might be vital to reducing impulsivity levels.

What drives alcohol binge drinking in students? And what are the consequences of binge drinking?

Binge drinking is a widespread alcohol consumption pattern in young people, whereby heavy alcohol use to intoxication is intermittent by periods of abstinence. It has been related to deleterious consequences such as brain modifications and cognitive dysfunctions. Binge drinking is described as associated with similar cognitive and emotional impairments to alcohol use disorder. However, whereas impairments for emotional processing has been largely supported in alcohol use disorder, this research field is still in its infancy in binge drinking.

Aleksandra wants to determine whether problems is emotional processing and regulation lead to alcohol binge drining or whether emotional processing disturbances are the consequences of alcohol binding. In other words, are emotional problems risk factors or consequences of alcohol binge drinking?

For up-to-date publications of Aleksandra's see her Google Scholar profile.