Divergent outputs of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus mediate visually evoked defensive behaviors

Rapid alternations between exploration and defensive reactions require ongoing risk assessment. How visual cues and internal states flexibly modulate the selection of behaviors remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN)—a major retinorecipient structure—is a critical node in the network controlling defensive behaviors to visual threats. We find that vLGNGABA neuron activity scales with the...