Abstract
Ventral pallidum (VP) neurons scale firing increases to reward value and decrease firing to aversive cues. Anatomical connectivity suggests a critical role for the VP in threat-related behavior. Here we tested whether firing decreases in VP neurons conform to relative threat by recording single units while male rats discriminated cues predicting unique foot shock probabilities. Rats behavior and VP single unit firing discriminated danger, uncertainty and safety cues. We found that two VP populations (Low firing and Intermediate firing) signaled relative threat, proportionally decreased firing according shock probability: danger < uncertainty < safety. Low firing neurons showed reward firing increases, consistent with a general signal for relative value. Intermediate firing neurons were unresponsive to reward, revealing a specific signal for relative threat. The results suggest an integral role for the VP in threat-related behavior.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
Funding and competing interests Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R21MH113053. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors report no competing interests.