A long-held view is that compulsive behaviors involve individuals getting stuck in a "habit loop" that overrides self-control, but new research in rats from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) ...

Compulsive behaviors are actions that are engaged in repeatedly and consistently, despite the fact that they are experienced as aversive or troubling. Yet treatment can help to manage or overcome ...

Mental health professionals say obsessive-compulsive disorder affects millions and can involve intrusive thoughts, anxiety, ...

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 ...

In a recent article published in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers performed longitudinal studies in rats to measure the sensitivity of early established versus compulsive polydipsic alcohol (or water ...

Is compulsive behavior common in people with Alzheimer’s or dementia? When someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, many aspects of his or her life are forced to change and will ...

The series turned a voyeuristic lens to people with unusual habits, but it did raise awareness of various compulsive ...

Eating disorders and OCD can look strikingly similar on the surface. Understanding what drives the behavior is essential for ...

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified a brain circuit that can drive repetitive and compulsive behaviors in mice, even when natural rewards such as food or social contact are ...