Peer-reviewed article

Genomic structural equation modeling of impulsivity and risk-taking traits reveals three latent factors associated with brain structure and development.

Mari Shishikura, Lang Liu, Eric Yu, Rui Zhu, Laura Vilar-Ribó et al. · 12 Oct 2026

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Impulsivity is a multifaceted transdiagnostic trait that emerges in childhood. Research has identified genetic loci and brain systems associated with different facets of impulsivity and risk-taking. However, how these genetic underpinnings overlap across different facets, and how they are associated with brain development during childhood remain unknown. METHODS: Using genomic structural equation modeling on 17 impulsivity and risk-taking traits, we identified latent factors capturing underlying genetic architecture. We then calculated polygenic scores for these factors using Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study data (N = 4,142) and examined their associations with brain structure, development, and behavior in children aged 9-14 years. Finally, we tested whether socioeconomic status modulated the associations between latent polygenic scores and brain structures. RESULTS: We identified three distinct genetic latent factors, which we label lack of self-control, reward drive, and sensation seeking. In children, polygenic scores for the three factors showed associations with partly differentiated brain patterns: lack of self-control associated with reduced prefrontal cortical thickness, reward drive with increased subcortical cellular density, and sensation seeking with increased cortical surface area and white matter integrity. Longitudinally, lack of self-control predicted variation in white matter development. We found little evidence that socioeconomic factors modulated associations between polygenic scores and brain structure. CONCLUSIONS: Using genome-wide association study data of European genetic ancestry samples, we identified three genetically distinct dimensions of impulsivity and risk-taking. These genetic predispositions showed association with brain structure as early as ages 9-10, with limited evidence that these associations varied across socioeconomic context.