Differential influence of habit components on compulsive and problematic reward-seeking behavior

Wuensch, Lavinia; Stussi, Yoann; Murray, Ryan J.; Denis-Bonnin, Maelys; Corino, Tamara; Sander, David; Péron, Julie Anne; Pool, Eva

doi:10.31234/osf.io/jr6m4

“…Second, OCD patients self-reported greater habitual tendencies in both the ‘routine’ and ‘automaticity’ subscales. Previous studies have reported that subjective habitual tendencies are associated with compulsive traits ( Ersche et al, 2019 ; Wuensch et al, 2022 ) and act, in addition to cognitive inflexibility, as a predictor of subclinical OCD symptomatology in healthy populations ( Ramakrishnan et al, 2022 ). There is an apparent discrepancy between self-reported ‘automaticity’ and the objective measure of automaticity we provided.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Action sequence learning, habits, and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Banca

¹

,

Ruiz

²

,

González-Zalba

³

et al. 2024

eLife

1

0

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Enhanced habit formation, greater automaticity and impaired goal/habit arbitration in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are key hypotheses from the goal/habit imbalance theory of compulsion which have not been directly investigated. This article tests these hypotheses using a combination of newly developed behavioral tasks. First, we trained patients with OCD and healthy controls, using a novel smartphone app, to perform chunked action sequences, previously shown to engage habit brain circuitry. The motor training was daily over one month period. There was equivalent procedural learning and attainment of habitual performance (measured with an objective criteria of automaticity) in both groups, despite greater subjective habitual tendencies in patients with OCD, self-reported via a recently developed questionnaire. We then used a combination of follow-up behavioral tasks to further assess the arbitration between previous automatic and new goal-directed action sequences. We found no evidence for impairments of goal/habit arbitration in OCD following re-evaluation based on monetary feedback, although there was a greater preference for engaging in the trained habitual sequence under certain conditions which may have derived from its intrinsic value. These findings may lead to a reformulation of the goal/habit imbalance hypothesis in OCD. Finally, OCD patients with higher compulsivity scores and habitual tendencies showed more engagement with the motor habit-training app and reported symptom alleviation, with implications for its potential use as a form of habit reversal therapy.

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“…Secondly, OCD patients self-reported greater habitual tendencies in both the ‘routine’ and ‘automaticity’ subscales. Previous studies have reported that subjective habitual tendencies are associated with compulsive traits (Ersche et al, 2019; Wuensch et al, 2022) and act, in addition to cognitive inflexibility, as a predictor of subclinical OCD symptomatology in healthy populations (Ramakrishnan et al, 2022). There is an apparent discrepancy between self-reported ‘automaticity’ and the objective measure of automaticity we provided.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Action-sequence learning, habits and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Banca

¹

,

Ruiz

²

,

González-Zalba

³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Enhanced habit formation, greater automaticity and impaired goal/habit arbitration in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are key hypotheses from the goal/habit imbalance theory of compulsion which have not been directly investigated. This article tests these hypotheses using a combination of newly developed behavioral tasks. First, we trained patients with OCD and healthy controls, using a novel smartphone app, to perform chunked action sequences, previously shown to engage habit brain circuitry. The motor training was daily over one month period. There was equivalent procedural learning and attainment of habitual performance (measured with an objective criteria of automaticity) in both groups, despite greater subjective habitual tendencies in patients with OCD, self-reported via a recently developed questionnaire. We then used a combination of follow-up behavioral tasks to further assess the arbitration between previous automatic and new goal-directed action sequences. We found no evidence for impairments of goal/habit arbitration in OCD following re-evaluation based on monetary feedback, although there was a greater preference for engaging in the trained habitual sequence under certain conditions which may have derived from its intrinsic value. These findings may lead to a reformulation of the goal/habit imbalance hypothesis in OCD. Finally, OCD patients with higher compulsivity scores and habitual tendencies showed more engagement with the motor habit-training app and reported symptom alleviation, with implications for its potential use as a form of habit reversal therapy.

show abstract

Action-sequence learning, habits and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Banca

¹

,

Ruiz

²

,

González-Zalba

³

et al. 2023

Preprint

1

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Enhanced habit formation, greater automaticity and impaired goal/habit arbitration in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are key hypotheses from the goal/habit imbalance theory of compulsion which have not been directly investigated. This article tests these hypotheses using a combination of newly developed behavioral tasks. First, we trained patients with OCD and healthy controls, using a novel smartphone app, to perform chunked action sequences, previously shown to engage habit brain circuitry. The motor training was daily over one month period. There was equivalent procedural learning and attainment of habitual performance (measured with an objective criteria of automaticity) in both groups, despite greater subjective habitual tendencies in patients with OCD, self-reported via a recently developed questionnaire. We then used a combination of follow-up behavioral tasks to further assess the arbitration between previous automatic and new goal-directed action sequences. We found no evidence for impairments of goal/habit arbitration in OCD following re-evaluation based on monetary feedback, although there was a greater preference for engaging in the trained habitual sequence under certain conditions which may have derived from its intrinsic value. These findings may lead to a reformulation of the goal/habit imbalance hypothesis in OCD. Finally, OCD patients with higher compulsivity scores and habitual tendencies showed more engagement with the motor habit-training app and reported symptom alleviation, with implications for its potential use as a form of habit reversal therapy.

show abstract

Differential influence of habit components on compulsive and problematic reward-seeking behavior

Cited by 6 publications

References 43 publications

Action sequence learning, habits, and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Action sequence learning, habits, and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Action-sequence learning, habits and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Action-sequence learning, habits and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

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