Ventral tegmental area circuits in defensive states: Emerging mechanisms of fear and anxiety
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) has traditionally been framed as a hub for motivation and positive reinforcement learning. However, growing evidence reveals that the VTA is also deeply embedded in defensive computations. Across glutamatergic, GABAergic, and dopaminergic populations, VTA neurons respond to aversive stimuli and can initiate innate defensive behaviors when manipulated. Here, we synthesize recent advances showing that VTA circuits detect threats, encode aversive salience, and orchestrate responses ranging from freezing and risk assessment to escape and defensive aggression. By integrating findings across cell types and circuits, we propose that the VTA functions as a dynamic threat-computation hub that maps threat imminence onto adaptive action policies. Stress-induced plasticity within VTA microcircuits may recalibrate defensive thresholds, offering a mechanistic bridge to anxiety disorders.
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BibTeX
@article{gomesribeiro2026ventral,
title = {{Ventral tegmental area circuits in defensive states: Emerging mechanisms of fear and anxiety}},
author = {Joana Gomes-Ribeiro and Jacques Barik and Sebastian P Fernandez},
journal = {Trends in Neurosciences},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1016/j.tins.2026.06.008},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05782988v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ventral tegmental area circuits in defensive states: Emerging mechanisms of fear and anxiety
AU - Joana Gomes-Ribeiro
AU - Jacques Barik
AU - Sebastian P Fernandez
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/07
JO - Trends in Neurosciences
DO - 10.1016/j.tins.2026.06.008
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05782988v1
AB - The ventral tegmental area (VTA) has traditionally been framed as a hub for motivation and positive reinforcement learning. However, growing evidence reveals that the VTA is also deeply embedded in defensive computations. Across glutamatergic, GABAergic, and dopaminergic populations, VTA neurons respond to aversive stimuli and can initiate innate defensive behaviors when manipulated. Here, we synthesize recent advances showing that VTA circuits detect threats, encode aversive salience, and orchestrate responses ranging from freezing and risk assessment to escape and defensive aggression. By integrating findings across cell types and circuits, we propose that the VTA functions as a dynamic threat-computation hub that maps threat imminence onto adaptive action policies. Stress-induced plasticity within VTA microcircuits may recalibrate defensive thresholds, offering a mechanistic bridge to anxiety disorders.
SN - 0166-2236
SN - 1878-108X
ER -