18 19 Previously we have demonstrated that microinjection of oxytocin (OT) into the central nucleus of 20 amygdala (CeA) induces hypergrooming in Wistar rats, a model of compulsion. The Wistar 21 Audiogenic Rat (WAR) strain is a genetic model of generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Here we 22 quantified grooming behavior in WAR, with grooming scores, flowcharts and directed graphs of 23 syntactic and non-syntactic grooming chains, after bilateral administration of OT or saline (SAL) into 24 the CeA and investigated the association between hypergrooming and imunohistochemistry of Fos 25 activated compulsion networks and proposing a computational model of grooming behavior. The 26 activated networks, driven from a CeA OT-dependent grooming pattern, in both Wistar and WAR were 27 detected as Fos+ regions: orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, 28 dentate gyrus, substantia nigra compacta and reticulata. In conclusion we can drive hypergrooming in 29 WARs, defined previously as a model of ritualistic motor behavior in Wistar rats, with OT from CeA, a 30 limbic structure and one of the principal amygdala complex outputs. Furthermore, our current pioneer 31 behavioral and cellular description considers that hypergrooming (compulsion) in WARs is a 32 comorbidity because: (1) WARs have the highest grooming scores , when exposed only to novelty (2) 33 WARs have better grooming scores than Wistars after CeA-SAL, (3) WARs perform much better than 34 Wistars in OT-CeA-dependent highly stereotyped behavioral sequences, detected by flowcharts as a 35 combination of syntactic/non-syntactic grooming chains, (4) the behavioral sequences here 36 demonstrated for grooming and hypergrooming can be modeled as quite reliable Markov chains and (5) 37 with the exception of CeA-SAL injected animals, an exquisite map of brain Fos expression was 38 detected in typical cortico-striatal-thalamic-basal ganglia-cortical circuit, among new areas, driven by 39 OT-CeA. 40 41 -900 -Ribeirão Preto -SP 45 -Brazil 46 47 48 Author Summary 49 50 Grooming is a complex set of regular behavioral sequences in rodents that can be mimicked with 51 several pharmacological or molecular biology interventions. We have demonstrated previously that 52 microinjection of the brain peptide oxytocin into the amygdala, a limbic region, induces 53 hypergrooming in Wistar rats, a model of compulsion. The Wistar Audiogenic Rat strain is a genetic 54 model of generalized seizures, in fact a model of epilepsy. Here we quantified grooming behavior in 55 Wistar Audiogenic Rats, using several behavioral tools such as grooming scores, behavioral sequences 56 and graphs of grooming chains, after bilateral administration of the oxytocin or its control (saline) into 57 the amygdala. We also investigated the association between hypergrooming and activation of 58 compulsion networks, proposing a computational (virtual) model of grooming behavior. Basically we 59 were able to detect activated networks, driven from amygdala and the consequent oxytoci...