https://mindlab-blog-drafts.pages.dev/tags/dorsolateral-striatum/Recent content in Dorsolateral-Striatum on MindLAB Neuroscience — Draft ReviewHugo -- 0.156.0en-us2026 Dr. Sydney Ceruto — MindLAB NeuroscienceTue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://mindlab-blog-drafts.pages.dev/posts/habit-vs-addiction-brain/Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://mindlab-blog-drafts.pages.dev/posts/habit-vs-addiction-brain/<h1 id="when-habits-become-hardwired-the-dorsal-striatum-circuit-that-turns-choice-into-compulsion">When Habits Become Hardwired: The Dorsal Striatum Circuit That Turns Choice Into Compulsion</h1> <p><img alt="Dorsal striatum render in copper-on-navy, luminous filament detail conveying circuit-level automaticity — Dr. Sydney Ceruto, MindLAB Neuroscience." loading="lazy" src="https://mindlab-blog-drafts.pages.dev/images/posts/habit-vs-addiction-brain-hero.webp"></p> <p>The habit vs addiction brain distinction is not a severity spectrum. A habit runs on the dorsomedial striatum, a goal-directed circuit that updates when consequences change. An addiction runs on the dorsolateral striatum, an automatic circuit that responds to cues and ignores outcomes. Once control has migrated, willpower targets the wrong subsystem.</p>