The results of the study, which was conducted on mice, indicate that these behaviors may in some cases be the product of excessive conscious control, rather than deeply ingrained habits as is commonly believed.
Compulsive behaviors are prevalent in a number of mental health disorders, most notably obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorders, and gambling addiction, where individuals continue to repeat their actions despite being aware of their negative consequences, affecting the lives of millions of people around the world.
Dr. Laura Bradfield, the study's lead author and a behavioral neuroscientist, explains that habits are a useful mechanism under normal circumstances, allowing people to perform everyday tasks automatically, such as brushing their teeth or driving on familiar routes, without requiring significant mental focus. However, in an emergency, people are capable of regaining conscious control and adjusting their behavior according to the potential consequences.
Regarding compulsive behaviors, such as excessive handwashing or gambling, the prevailing belief was that these actions become automatic habits that are difficult to break. However, the new study challenges this traditional view.
The researchers based their study on previous observations showing that inflammation is common in the striatum, a brain region responsible for action choice, in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorders. Therefore, the research team tested the effect of inducing inflammation in this region in mice to see how it affected their behavior.
The study, led by Dr. Arvi Abeiro as part of his doctoral research, tracked how mice learn and control their actions.
The results showed that stimulating inflammation did not promote normal behavior as expected, but rather prompted the mice to make more conscious and deliberate decisions, while continuing to modify their behavior based on the results.
Abeiro said that what is interesting is that the animals have become more goal-oriented, even in situations where habits usually prevail.
These findings are particularly important in the field of therapy, as they suggest that compulsive behavior may sometimes stem from excessive and inappropriate conscious control, rather than a lack of control. They also open the door to new treatment strategies, including medications that reduce neuroinflammation, along with supportive interventions such as exercise and improved sleep quality.
Dr. Bradfield concludes by saying that many compulsive behaviors do not quite fit the habit hypothesis, explaining that someone who constantly washes their hands out of fear of germs is not acting unconsciously, but rather making a deliberate decision motivated by anxiety.
She believes that this new understanding may contribute to the development of more effective treatments for dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder and other compulsive behaviors.
The study was published in the Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.
