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Studying the brains of dysfunctionally impulsive people: like criminals, drug addicts, and teenagers
Why do people who are bright enough to hold a decent conversation do really impulsive things that wreck their lives or the lives of others- such as become dependent on drugs or alcohol, or kill someone in the heat of the moment?  This burning question has driven my career in biomedical research.  To help advance our understanding of the neurobiology of impulsivity, I have studied hundreds of messed-up people in the laboratory using a variety of measures-- from questionnaires, to carefully-calibrated laboratory tasks of behavior, to genetics, to structural and functional neuroimaging.  With one exception, all my research has been on human volunteers, who are much more difficult to deal with than rats or monkeys.  Below are my peer-reviewed publications.

My published research articles:

Bjork, J.M., Smith, A.R., Hommer, D.W. (In press)  Striatal sensitivity to reward deliveries and omissions in substance dependent patients.  NeuroImage.

 

Bjork, J.M. (In press) Alcohol exposure and the developing human brain, in Rumsey, J and Ernst, M (eds) Neuroimaging in Developmental Clinical Neuroscience.  Cambridge University Press.

 

Bjork, J.M., Knutson, B., Hommer, D.W. (In press)  Incentive-elicited striatal activation in adolescent children of alcoholics.  Addiction.

 

Gilman, J.M., Ramchandani, V.A., Davis, M.B., Bjork, J.M.,  Hommer, D.W. (2008) Why we like to drink: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of the rewarding and anxiolytic effects of alcohol. Journal of Neuroscience 28: 4583-4591.

 

Bjork, J.M., Momenan, R., Smith, A.R., Hommer, D.W. (2008) Reduced posterior mesofrontal cortex activation by risky rewards in substance-dependent patients. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 95: 115-128.

 

Bjork, J.M., Smith, A.R., Danube, C.L., Hommer, D.W. (2007) Developmental differences in posterior mesofrontal cortex recruitment by risky rewards. Journal of Neuroscience 27: 4839-4849.

 

Gilman J., Bjork J., and Hommer, D. (2007)  Parental Alcohol Use and Brain Volumes in Early and Late-Onset Alcoholics. Biological Psychiatry 62(6):607-15.

Bjork, J.M., Hommer, D.W.  (2007) Anticipating instrumentally obtained and passively-received rewards: A factorial fMRI investigation. Behavioural Brain Research 177: 165-170.

 

Guyer, A.E., Nelson, E.E., Perez-Edgar, K., Hardin, M.G., Roberson-Nay, R., Monk, C.S, Bjork, J.M., Henderson, H.A., Pine, D.S., Fox, N.A., Ernst, M. (2006) Striatal functional alteration in adolescents characterized by early childhood behavioral inhibition. Journal of Neuroscience 26: 6399-6405.

 

Bjork, J.M.,  Hommer, D. W., Grant, S.J., Danube C. (2004) Impulsivity in abstinent alcohol-dependent patients: relation to control subjects and type 1-/type 2-like traits. Alcohol 34: 133-150.

 

Knutson, B., Bjork, J.M., Fong, G.W., Hommer, D., Mattay, V.S., Weinberger, D.R. (2004) Amphetamine modulates human incentive processing.  Neuron 43: 261-269.

 

Bjork, J.M., Knutson, B., Fong, G., Caggiano, D., Bennett, S., Hommer, D.W. (2004)  Incentive-elicited brain activation in adolescents: Similarities and differences from young adults.  Journal of Neuroscience 24: 1793-1802.

 

Bjork, J.M., Grant, S.J., Hommer, D. W. (2003)  Cross-sectional volumetric analysis of brain atrophy in alcoholics: effects of drinking history and comorbid substance use disorder.  American Journal of Psychiatry 160: 2038-2045.

Dougherty, D.M., Bjork, J.M., Harper, R.A., Marsh, D.M., Moeller, F.G., Mathias, C.W. (2003)  Behavioral impulsivity paradigms: A comparison in hospitalized adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Disorders.  Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines 44: 1145-1157.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Bjork, J.M., Harper, R.A., Mathias, C.W., Moeller, F.G., Marsh, D.M. (2003)  Validation of the immediate and delayed memory tasks in hospitalized adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Disorders. The Psychological Record 53: 509-532.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Bjork, J.M., Moeller, F.G.,Harper, R.A., Marsh, D.M., Mathias, C.W., Swann, A.C. (2003) Familial transmission of continuous performance test behavior: Attentional and impulsive response characteristics.  Journal of General Psychology 130: 5-21.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Mathias, C.W., Marsh, D.M., Greve, K.W., Bjork, J.M., Moeller, F.G. (2003) Commission error rates on a continuous performance test are related to deficits measured by the Benton Visual Retention Test.  Assessment 10: 3-12.

 

Bjork, J.M., Moeller, F.G., Dougherty, D.M., Swann, A.C., Machado, M.A., Hanis, C.L. (2002)  The serotonin 2a receptor T102C polymorphism and impaired impulse control.  American Journal of Psychiatric Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics) 114(3):336-9.

 

Swann, A.C., Bjork, J.M., Moeller, F.G., Dougherty, D.M. (2002)  Two models of Impulsivity: Relationship to personality traits and psychopathology.  Biological Psychiatry 51: 988-994.

 

Bjork, J.M., Moeller, F.G., Kramer, G.L., Kram, M., Suris, A., Rush, A.J., Petty, F. (2001)  Plasma GABA levels correlate with aggressiveness in relatives of patients with unipolar depressive disorder.  Psychiatry Research 101: 131-136.

 

Bjork, J.M., Moeller, F.G., Dougherty, D.M., Swann, A.C. (2001) Endogenous Plasma Testosterone Levels and Commission Errors in Women: A Preliminary Report.  Physiology and Behavior 73: 217-221.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Bjork, J.M., Marsh, D.M., Moeller, F.G.  (2000) A comparison between adults with conduct disorder and normal controls on a continuous performance test: Differences in impulsive response characteristics.  The Psychological Record, 50: 203-219.

 

Bjork, J.M., Dougherty, D.M., Moeller, F.G., Swann, A.C. (2000) Differential behavioral effects of plasma tryptophan depletion and loading in aggressive and nonaggressive men.  Neuropsychopharmacology, 22: 357-369.

 

Dougherty, D. M., Bjork, J. M., Marsh, D. M., and Moeller, F. G.  (2000).  The influence of trait hostility on L-tryptophan depletion-induced aggression.  Psychiatry Research, 88, 227-232.

 

Moeller, F.G., Bjork, J.M., Dougherty, D.M., Van de Kar, L.D., Marsh, D.M., Swann, A.C. (2000)  Low dose zolmitriptan as a 5-HT neuroendocrine challenge agent in humans. Psychoneuroendocrinology 25(6): 607-618.

 

Bjork, J.M., Dougherty, D.M., Moeller, F.G., Cherek, D.R., Swann, A.C.  (1999).  The effects of tryptophan depletion and loading on laboratory aggression in men: time course and a food-restricted control.  Psychopharmacology 142: 24-30.

 

Dougherty, D. M., Bjork, J. M., Bennett, R. H., Moeller, F. G. (1999).  The effects of a cumulative alcohol dosing procedure on laboratory aggression in men and women.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 60: 322-329.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Bjork, J.M., Huckabee, H.G.C., Moeller, F.G., Swann, A.C. (1999). Laboratory measures of aggression and impulsivity in women with borderline personality disorder. Psychiatry Research, 85: 315-326.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Moeller, F.G., Steinberg, J.M., Marsh, D.M., Hines, S.E., Bjork, J.M.  (1999).  Low doses of alcohol increase commission error rates on a continuous performance test. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23: 1342-1351.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Bjork, J.M., Marsh, D.M., Moeller, F.G. (1999)  Influence of trait hostility on tryptophan depletion-induced laboratory aggression.  Psychiatry Research, 88(3):227-32.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Moeller, F.G., Bjork, J.M., Marsh, D.M. (1999)  Plasma L-tryptophan depletion and aggression.  In G. Huether, W. Kochen, T.J. Simat & H. Steinhart (Eds.), Tryptophan, serotonin and melatonin: Basic aspects and applications.  (pp. 57-65). New York: Klewer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Dougherty, D. M., Bjork, J. M., Cherek, D. R., Moeller, F. G., Huang, D.  (1998).  The effects of menstrual cycle phase and reported symptom severity on a laboratory measure of aggression.  Aggressive Behavior 24: 9-26.

 

Bjork, J. M.,  Gaytan, O., Patt, N., Swann, A., Dafny, N.  (1998).  Behavioral tolerance to and withdrawal from multiple fluoxetine administration.  International Journal of Neuroscience 93: 163-179.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Bjork, J.M., Bennett, R.H. (1998).  Effects of alcohol on rotary pursuit performance: a gender comparison.  The Psychological Record 48: 393-405.

 

Bjork, J.M., Dougherty, D.M., Moeller, F.G. (1999). Symptomatology of depression and anxiety in female “social drinkers.”  American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 25: 173-182.

 

Bjork, J.M., Dougherty, D.M., Huang D., Scurlock, C. (1998). Self-reported impulsivity is correlated with laboratory-measured escape behavior.  The Journal of General Psychology 125: 165-174.

 

Bjork, J.M., Gaytan, O., Patt, N., Swann, A.C., Dafny, N. (1998) Behavioral tolerance to and withdrawal from multiple fluoxetine administration. International Journal of Neuroscience 93: 163-179.

 

Bjork, J.M., Dougherty, D.M.  (1998) Differences in alcohol expectancy between aggressive and nonaggressive social drinkers.  Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 22: 1943-1950.

 

Bjork, J. M., Dougherty, D.M., Moeller, F.G.  (1997).  A positive correlation between self-ratings of depression and laboratory-measured aggression. Psychiatry Research 69: 33-38.

 

Dougherty, D. M., Bjork, J. M., Huang, D.  (1997).  The relationship between Menstrual Distress Questionnaire subscales and the frequency of aggressive responding measured in the laboratory.  Personality and Individual Differences 22(3): 381-391.

 

Dougherty, D.M., Cherek, D.R., Bennett, R.H., Moeller, F.G., Bjork, J.M. (1997).  Alcohol increases laboratory-measured aggression in women.  Alcohol Update 31: 2-3.

 Dougherty, D. M., Bjork, J. M., Moeller, F. G., Swann, A. C.  (1997).  The influence of menstrual-cycle phase on the relationship between testosterone and aggression.  Physiology & Behavior 62: 431-435.

 

You can look up these papers or almost any other biomedical research article at:
The PubMed biomedical literature database
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If you are interested in the biology of impulsivity, I recommend checking out the International Society for Research on Impulsivity at www.impulsivity.org.