In a study that gives new meaning to the phrase “impulsive by nature,” Washington University School of Medicine researchers have found people who make impulsive decisions may have their parents to blame.

According to a study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting in Florida, the researchers found that a behavioral trait known as “delay discounting” — the tendency to take a smaller reward immediately instead of a larger reward later on — is strongly influenced by our genetic makeup.

In other words, it is a trait that can be inherited from our parents. Researchers said the findings could lead to the discovery of genes that influence such behaviors, which could in term help inform the diagnosis and treatment of addictions and various psychiatric disorders that involve impulsive decision-making.

The findings are based on a study of 602 twins, led by Dr. Andrey Anokhin. What researchers found was that “delay discounting” gradually improves as teens get older, but also that genes accounted for about half of the difference among individuals.

While it is tantalizing to speculate that the associations between delay discounting and serotonin-related genes may ultimately point the way to new treatments for addictions and other disorders involving impulsive choice,

Dr. Anokhin noted that "it is very early to link this speculation to a clinical application." But researchers are proceeding with follow-up studies involving the analysis of DNA and questionnaire responses from as many as 25,000 volunteers in order to identify specific genes involved in “delay discounting.”

This research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.