Inflammation, Not Habit Loop, Drives Compulsive Behaviors: New Study in Rats

A recent study in rats suggests that compulsive behaviors, such as handwashing and gambling, may be driven by inflammation in the brain rather than habit loops. Researchers found that neuroinflammation affects decision-making, leading to goal-directed rather than autopilot behaviors, highlighting potential new treatments involving anti-inflammatory strategies.

Compulsive behaviors, traditionally thought to stem from habit loops overwhelming self-control, may actually be rooted in brain inflammation, according to a groundbreaking study on rats. The research, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, shifts the understanding of these behaviors, which include repeated actions like excessive handwashing or gambling.

Senior author Laura Bradfield, a behavioral neuroscientist at the University of Technology Sydney, explained that while habits generally allow humans to operate on autopilot, situations necessitating immediate cognitive control—such as driving—reveal underlying behavioral mechanisms. The study investigated whether inflammation in the brain's striatum region, key for motor control and habit formation, affects behavior.

The findings revealed that inflammation led rats to engage in more deliberate decision-making instead of automatic habits. This shift was linked to astrocytes—supportive brain cells—that proliferated during inflammation, disrupting neuron function. The study suggests that targeting astrocytes and utilizing anti-inflammatory treatments could offer new strategies for managing compulsive behaviors.