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Unraveling the mysteries of habit formation
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- DeepHorus
Researchers at Kyoto University have identified two distinct neural circuits that control habit formation and execution, a discovery that could transform understanding of habitual behavior. Published in Nature Communications on 2026, the study used a novel rapid training method in mice to trace the transition from goal-directed to habitual actions. The findings reveal that habits are not simple repetitions but involve complex brain mechanisms that vary between individuals.
Habit formation is the shift from deliberate decision-making to automatic behavior, often used to build beneficial routines like exercise or studying. While repetition is known to be essential, whether habits replicate original behaviors exactly or evolve over time remained unclear. The long time required for habit formation made direct observation difficult, prompting the team to develop a faster training approach.
The team trained mice using goal-directed strategies followed by an additional four days of training to encourage habitual strategies. This two-stage method allowed researchers to observe the behavioral and neural transition in individual mice. They found that two separate neural circuits manage different aspects of habit.
The first circuit, projecting from the anterior cingulate cortex to the retrosplenial cortex, determines whether a behavior becomes a habit, with connections weakening during the transition. The second circuit, from the lateral orbitofrontal cortex to the central striatum, controls how strongly the habit is executed. Mice with strong neural responses in this pathway maintained high execution levels, while weaker responses led to reduced execution, explaining individual differences.
Artificial manipulation of these circuits selectively promoted habit formation or altered execution levels, confirming their distinct roles. The results challenge the traditional view that repetition simply copies an action into a habit unchanged. Instead, the study demonstrates that even after a habit forms, significant individual differences exist in its frequency and intensity.
“Habits are one of the brain’s most mysterious functions,” said co-corresponding author Nozomi Asaoka, noting the struggle to control them. Team leader Yasunori Hayashi added that the study uncovers overlooked control mechanisms, helping explain why habits differ from person to person.
The team plans to investigate what drives these individual differences in habit intensity. This research could eventually aid in acquiring beneficial habits and improving treatments for problematic habits linked to conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
