Development of system for determination of odor and taste preference ranking.

解剖学和生理学研究表明，皮层-杏仁核-下丘脑外侧轴在识别外部感觉刺激的生物学意义方面非常重要，如预测食物或非食物的提示信号以及随后的操作反应。然而，对嗅觉或味觉识别生物上有意义的气味和味道及其相关行为反应的大脑机制还没有很好的了解。我们开发了两个系统，用于确定气味偏好排名和味觉偏好排名使用微型计算机。这些系统包括一个等边的八角形笼子、一个微型计算机、显示器、数据输入和输出接口、一个喂料器、一个光暗控制器、笼壁上的杠杆或水龙头、用于喷洒各种气味物质或用滴头传感器呈现各种味道的驱动器和一个除臭风扇。老鼠可以通过按下墙上相应的杠杆来获得气味，或者品尝者可以通过舔墙上的水龙头来获得气味…更多。可以对一个系统中的八种气味或另一个系统中的味精进行测试，以确定气味偏好或味觉偏好排名。在这个系统中，所有的条件，如杠杆按下或饮用信号，输入输出关系，明暗控制和记录间隔都在计算机控制下，一周以上的数据存储在软盘上。使用这些系统，我们分析了正常、必需氨基酸缺乏和食物匮乏状态下大鼠的气味和味觉偏好。结合我们之前开发的操作性学习设备，我们阐明了在这些行为量化的不同条件下下丘脑神经元反应的变化。这些系统对气味的行为研究和味觉偏好排名是有用的。在单个神经元水平上，研究嗅觉和味觉对生物上有意义的气味和味觉的识别的大脑机制，内部氨基酸与食盐或鲜味食欲的相关性的调节，等等

Anatomical and physiological studies indicate that the association cortex-amygdala-lateral hypothalamus axis is important-in-recognizing biological significance of external sensory stimuli, such as cue signals predicting food or non-food and the consequent operant responses. However, brain mechanisms in olfactory or gustatory recognition of biologically significant odors and tastes and their associated behavioral responses are not well understood.We have developed two systems for the determination of odor preference ranking and taste preference ranking using microcomputers. these systems consist of an equilateral octagonal cage, a microcomputer, a display, interface of data input and output, a feeder, a light-dark controller, levers or taps on the cage walls, drivers to spray various odor substances or present various tastants with drop sensors, and a deodorization fan. A rat can obtain an odor by pressing the corresponding lever on the wall, or a tastant by licking its tap on the wall … More . A total of eight kinds of odor in one system or tastant in the other can be tested to determine odor preference or taste preference ranking. In this system, all conditions such as lever pressing or drinking signals, input-output relations, light-dark control and recording intervals are under computer control, and data of more than one week, are stored on floppy disks.Using these systems, we analyzed odor and taste preferences of rats in normal, essential amino acid deficient, and food deprived states. Combined with our previously developed operant learning equipment, we clarified changes in responsiveness of hypothalamic neurons under these behaviorally quantified different conditions. These systems are useful for behavioral study of odor and taste preference ranking. and for study, at the single neuron level, of brain mechanisms of olfactory and gustatory recognition of biologically significant odorants and tastants, regulation of internal amino acid correlation with salt or umami appetite, etc. Less