Abstract
Anatomical and behavioral data suggest that the ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (VLO), which exhibits extensive connectivity and supports diverse sensory and cognitive processes, may exert global influence over brain activity. However, this hypothesis has never been tested directly. We applied optogenetic fMRI to drive various elements of VLO circuitry while visualizing the whole-brain response. Surprisingly, driving excitatory thalamocortical projections to VLO at low frequencies (5-10 Hz) evoked widespread, bilateral decreases in brain activity spanning multiple cortical and subcortical structures. This pattern was unique to thalamocortical projections, with direct stimulations of neither VLO nor thalamus eliciting such a response. High-frequency stimulations (25-40 Hz) of thalamocortical projections evoked dramatically different-though still far-reaching-responses, in the form of widespread ipsilateral activation. Importantly, decreases in brain activity evoked by low-frequency thalamocortical input were mediated by GABA and activity in zona incerta. These findings identify specific circuit mechanisms underlying VLO control of brain-wide neural activities.