Bypassing the VTA: Thalamic modulation of striatal dopamine prioritizes safety.

Clarke, Rachel E; Otis, James M · Nat Commun · 2026

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Abstract

Avoiding danger even when competing goals are imminent supports survival, yet the mechanisms orchestrating this behavioral override remain unclear. Macdonald and colleagues describe a thalamostriatal microcircuit that modulates terminal dopamine release, bypassing canonical midbrain dopamine circuitry to prioritize safety.