Risky and excessive behaviors, such as aggressive and compulsive behaviors, are frequently
described in patients with brain damage and have dramatic psychosocial consequences.
Although there is strong evidence that impulsivity constitutes a key factor at play in these
behaviors, the literature about impulsivity in neuropsychology is to date scarce. In addition,
examining and understanding these problematic behaviors requires the assumption that impulsivity
is a multidimensional construct. Consequently, this article aims at shedding light on
frequent risky and excessive behaviors in patients with brain damage by focusing on a unified,
comprehensive, and well-validated model, namely, the UPPS model of impulsivity. This model
considers impulsivity as a multidimensional construct that includes four facets: urgency, (lack of)
premeditation, (lack of) perseverance, and sensation seeking. Furthermore, we discuss the psychological
mechanisms underlying the dimensions of impulsivity, as well as the laboratory tasks
designed to assess each mechanism and their neural bases. We then present a scale specifically
designed to assess these four dimensions of impulsivity in patients with brain damage and
examine the data regarding this multidimensional approach to impulsivity in neuropsychology.
This review supports the need to adopt a multifactorial and integrative approach toward
impulsive behaviors, and the model presented provides a valuable rationale to disentangle the
nature of brain systems and mechanisms underlying impulsive behaviors in patients with brain
damage. It may also foster further relevant research in the field of impulsivity and improve
assessment and rehabilitation of impulsive behaviors in clinical settings