Control yourself: alcohol and impulsivity.

Impulsivity represents a complex, multifaceted construct with relevance to alcohol use, abuse, and dependence. Researchers are refining the definitions and assessment of different subtypes of impulsive behavior and relating these to the causes and consequences of alcohol-related behaviors and disorders. A satellite symposium on alcohol and impulsivity was held at the 2009 convention of the Research Society on Alcoholism. This article provides an overview of the rationale for the symposium, a synopsis of review and original research articles emanating from the symposium, and a description of the implications of the work and possible future research directions.