A new thalamo-cortical-amygdala circuit is involved in processing a natural auditory alarm cue

ABSTRACTAnimals use auditory cues generated by defensive responses of others to detect impending danger. Here we identify a neural circuit in rats involved in the detection of one such auditory cue, the cessation of movement-evoked sound resulting from freezing. This circuit comprises the dorsal sub-nucleus of the medial geniculate body (MGD) and downstream areas, the ventral area of the auditory cortex (VA) and the lateral amygdala (LA). This study suggests a role for the auditory offset pathway in processing a natural sound cue of threat.