Abstract

Compulsive behaviour is present in different psychiatric disorders such as OCD , schizophrenia and drug abuse. In our laboratory we investigate a compulsive phenotype of rats, selected by Schedule-Induced Polydipsia (SIP).This procedure, characterized by the development of nonregulatory excessive drinking under intermittent food reinforcement schedules, has been previously proposed as a successful model for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, and alcohol abuse. The lecture review our main findings in High compulsive drinker rats (HD) versus Low drinker rats (LD) on SIP ; through the assessment of individual differences in other behaviours related to compulsive spectrum disorders, psychopharmacology, brain neurochemistry and receptors. These studies contribute to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the vulnerability to compulsion , improving our knowledge of possible new markers and insights for potential treatments on compulsive behaviours in neuropsychiatric populations.