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Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
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A midline thalamic circuit determines reactions to visual threat
Lindsey D Salay1, Nao Ishiko1, Andrew D Huberman2,3,4,5
1Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Nature
|May 4, 2018
Summary
The ventral midline thalamus (vMT) controls threat responses by directing visual information to different brain areas. This influences whether mice freeze or confront threats, impacting adaptive decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Decision Making
Background:
- The integration of internal states with visual threat perception to guide adaptive behaviors remains unclear.
- Mice exhibit distinct behavioral strategies, such as freezing or shelter-seeking, in response to visual threats.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify neural circuits underlying the integration of internal states and visual threat perception.
- To elucidate the role of the ventral midline thalamus (vMT) in controlling behavioral responses to threats.
Main Methods:
- Investigated the function of specific vMT nuclei, including the xiphoid nucleus (Xi) and nucleus reuniens (Re), in mice.
- Utilized projection-specific pathway tracing and activation to analyze neural pathways and their behavioral outputs.
Main Results:
- The Xi nucleus projects to the basolateral amygdala, promoting freezing (saliency-reducing threat response).
- The Re nucleus projects to the medial prefrontal cortex (Re→mPFC), driving confrontational responses like tail rattling (saliency-enhancing).
- Activation of the Re→mPFC pathway enhances autonomic arousal and is rewarding.
Conclusions:
- The vMT acts as a critical hub, biasing internal states into opposing behavioral responses to perceived threats.
- These findings offer insights into disorders characterized by impaired arousal and decision-making, such as phobias and PTSD.
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