Compulsive Behavior May Not Be a “Bad Habit” After All, New Study Finds

Compulsive behavior has long been thought to arise from rigid habits that overpower self-control, but new research in rats challenges this idea. Scientists found that inflammation in a key brain region actually pushed behavior toward more deliberate, goal-directed decision-making rather than automatic habits. Credit: Shutterstock A common belief is that compulsive behaviors trap people in a “habit loop” that takes over self-control. New research, however, suggests this explanation may be incomplete. For many years, compulsive behavior has been explained as people becoming trapped in a “habit loop” that takes over self-control. New research from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), based on studies in rats, challenges this long-standing assumption. Compulsive behaviors appear in a wide range of mental health conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorders, and gambling disorder. In these cases, people continue repeating certain actions even when they know the consequences are harmful. Together, these conditions affect millions of people around the world. Why habits were blamed for compulsion Senior author and behavioral neuroscientist Dr. Laura Bradfield explained that habits normally serve an important purpose. They allow people to operate on autopilot during routine activities, such as brushing their teeth or driving a familiar route, freeing mental resources to focus on other things. “However, if we are driving and a child steps onto the road, then we suddenly become aware of our surroundings and focus on what we are doing. This involves taking back conscious control, thinking about possible outcomes, and adjusting our behavior,” said Dr. Bradfield. “With compulsive behaviors such as handwashing or playing poker machines, the scientific view has been that these behaviors have become entrenched habits, so it is difficult for people to break free and take back cognitive control. “Brain imaging studies show it’s common for people with compulsive disorders to have inflammation in the striatum, a brain region involved in choosing actions, so we decided to test whether inducing inflammation in this region in rats would increase habitual behavior.” Inflammation shifts decisions away from habit The study, led by Dr. Arvie Abiero as part of his PhD research at UTS, and recently published in Neuropsychopharmacology , tracked how rats learn and control their actions and found that triggering inflammation in the striatum shifted behavior toward more deliberate, effortful decision-making rather than habit. “Surprisingly, the animals became more goal-directed and continued to adjust their behavior based on outcomes, even in situations where habits would normally take over,” said Dr. Bradfield. The research team traced this effect to astrocytes - star-shaped cells in the brain that support neurons. Inflammation caused these cells to multiply and interfere with nearby groups of neurons that control movement and decision-making. Rethinking the roots of compulsion The research will be of interest to psychologists, psychiatrists, patients, and caregivers working with compulsive disorders. The findings suggest that, in some cases, compulsive behavior may come from too much (albeit inappropriate) deliberate control rather than too little. The study suggests that drugs that target astrocytes and reduce neuroinflammation, as well as broader anti-inflammatory...

Preview: ~500 words