Feedback-related negativity is correlated with unplanned impulsivity.

Recent studies of electroencephalogram event-related potentials reported aberrant feedback-related negativity (FRN) in neurological and psychiatric diseases, such as alcoholism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. These diseases are characterized by high impulsivity. We investigated the relationship between FRN and impulsivity in healthy people. We performed correlation analyses between FRN amplitude recorded during a gambling task and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale scores. The analysis showed a significant negative correlation between FRN amplitude and the nonplanning impulsiveness score, which assess lack of past planning or future orientation. This suggests that FRN may be a neurophysiological marker of unplanned impulsiveness.