Effects of deep brain stimulation in the mid-striatum on compulsive behavior in an extradimensional set-shifting task
Cortico-striatal circuits are central to several cognitive processes, including cognitive control: the ability to regulate and refrain from a learned behavior to achieve a specific goal. Deficits in this process are common in obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression, and many other disorders. Compulsive behaviors are one such deficit l in which actions are performed persistently and repetitively without necessarily leading to rewards or goals. Previous studies in rodents and humans have demonstrated the ability for deep brain stimulation (DBS) of cortico-striatal circuits to improve cognitive control. However, the effect of DBS on compulsive behavior is less understood. We investigated compulsive behavior in rodent models performing an extradimensional set-shifting task. Specifically, we identified compulsive behaviors during intervals between task-relevant periods. Our preliminary results suggest that DBS in the mid-striatum reduced compulsive behavior. This result suggests that the therapeutic effects of DBS in psychiatric indications could be mediated both by improving cognitive control and reducing the impact of related deficits such as compulsive behaviors. These findings could be extended in future work to identify stimulation targets and neural correlates that yielded the greatest reductions in compulsive behavior thereby maximizing therapeutic benefit and mechanistic understanding.