Fig. 1: The LHb guides innate and learned behaviours by encoding rewarding and aversive stimuli through complex circuit connectivity and diversity in neuronal responses.
From: Reward and aversion encoding in the lateral habenula for innate and learned behaviours
a Schematic representing the principal LHb inputs (blue) and outputs (purple) contributing to innate and learned behaviours. Ventral tegmental area (VTA), lateral hypothalamus (LH), lateral preoptic area (LPO), ventral pallidum (VP), entopeduncular nucleus (EPN), medial septal nucleus (MS) and Prefrontal Cortex are projections to the LHb. LHb neurons send axons to VTA, Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus (RMTg), Raphe and Laterodorsal Tegmental nucleus (LDTg). b Schematic representation of various innate behaviours that are controlled by LHb. Response to a threat (I.) and subsequent escape behaviour (Ia.) or immobility (Ib); social interactions (II.), aggressive interactions (III.) and parental behaviours (IV.). c Illustration of the average neuronal activity of LHb cells in response to a conditioned stimulus and unconditioned aversive and rewarding stimulus before and after associative learning. d Tentative model representing the neuronal and functional diversity present during the encoding of conditioned stimuli and unconditioned stimuli. Such a neuronal diversity is represented by the type I (orange), II (green), III (blue) and IV (purple). e Key inputs onto the LHb that contribute to the encoding of unpredicted and predicted aversive and appetitive stimulus.
