Photic Stimulation

Anticipation (artificial intelligence)

Neuroscience

Visual perception

Sensory system

Inhibitory postsynaptic potential

Stimulation

Computer science

Biological neural network

Visual cortex

Psychology

Disinhibition

Superior colliculus

Artificial intelligence

Lateral geniculate nucleus

Optogenetics

Perception

Neuron

Animals can choose to act upon, or to ignore, sensory stimuli, depending on circumstance and prior knowledge. This flexibility is thought to depend on neural inhibition, through suppression of inappropriate and disinhibition of appropriate actions. Here, we identified the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN), an inhibitory prethalamic area, as a critical node for control of visually evoked defensive responses in mice. The activity of vLGN projections to the medial superior colliculus (mSC) is modulated by previous experience of threatening stimuli, tracks the perceived threat level in the environment, and is low prior to escape from a visual threat. Optogenetic stimulation of the vLGN abolishes escape responses, and suppressing its activity lowers the threshold for escape and increases risk-avoidance behavior. The vLGN most strongly affects visual threat responses, potentially via modality-specific inhibition of mSC circuits. Thus, inhibitory vLGN circuits control defensive behavior, depending on an animal's prior experience and its anticipation of danger in the environment.

Flexible inhibitory control of visually evoked defensive behavior by the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus