Hypothesis: Compulsive hoarding as an atavism

Sandro René Pinto de Sousa Miguel; Rodrigo Ligabue-Braun

doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109273

Hypothesis: Compulsive hoarding as an atavism

Med Hypotheses. 2019 Sep:130:109273. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109273. Epub 2019 Jun 11.

Authors

Sandro René Pinto de Sousa Miguel¹, Rodrigo Ligabue-Braun²

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medical Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
² Graduate Program in Biological Sciences (PPGBio) and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: rodrigolb@ufcspa.edu.br.

PMID: 31383336
DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109273

Abstract

In this hypothesis paper, we propose that hoarding disorder may be an ancestral mammalian behavior, possibly hard-wired but dormant in present-day humans, that can be activated by traumatic experiences. To support this claim, we describe hoarding in ancestral mammals and provide examples of recurrence of traits, or atavisms, in humans and other mammals, highlighting its implications for neuropsychiatric diseases. We highlight the potential of using shrews as animal models for hoarding behavior and, considering the current knowledge on the molecular underpinnings of the disorder, we also point to limitations of the proposed connection.

Keywords: Animal models; Genetics; Shrew.

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Animals
Biological Evolution
Brain / physiology
Compulsive Behavior* / diagnosis
Disease Models, Animal
Hoarding Disorder* / diagnosis
Humans
Models, Theoretical
Psychological Trauma* / physiopathology
Recurrence
Signal Transduction