Regulation of habit formation in the dorsal striatum

Publication date: April 2018 Source:Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Volume 20 Author(s): Melissa Malvaez, Kate M Wassum Habits are an essential and pervasive component of our daily lives that allow us to efficiently perform routine tasks. But their disruption contributes to the symptoms that underlie many psychiatric diseases. Emerging data are revealing the cellular and molecular mechanisms of habit formation in the dorsal striatum. New data suggest that in both the dorsolateral and dorsomedial striatum histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity acts as a critical negative regulator of the transcriptional processes underlying habit formation. In this review, we discuss this recent work and draw conclusions relevant to the treatment of diseases marked by maladaptive habits.

Source: Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences - November 22, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research