GUSTATORY AFFERENT ORGANIZATION IN THE SOLITARY NUCLEUS

有几个空间隔离和功能不同的 口腔中味蕾的亚群。 大多数研究表明， 味觉生理学已经研究了仅由以下之一引起的反应： 他们，在舌头上的味蕾，其中占不到 15%的味蕾。 对化疗敏感的 接受传入信息的中枢神经元的反应谱 来自其他味觉受体亚群，它们之间的相互作用，或 关于中央路径的组织，因为它涉及到这些 不同的味蕾群。 中所述工作的长期目标 本提案旨在全面描述 味觉信息的处理，包括所有的口腔味觉 芽 这些实验将使用神经生理学和 神经解剖学技术，以实现这一目标，在第一-和 脑干中的二级味觉中继核团， 孤束核（NST）和臂旁核（PBN）。 一是这些 实验将确定NST的化学敏感性反应曲线， 对一组被忽视的味蕾亚群做出反应的神经元， 那些在口腔后部的。 第二，他们将阐明 NST神经元如何整合空间会聚味觉的原理 信息. 第三，他们将描述感受野组织是如何 以及在下一个突触中继PBN处的表示变化。 最后， 这些实验将探索传入神经和 脑干味觉神经元的传出特性，以提供一个 更完整的上下文来理解它们的功能。 味觉 系统在调节进食行为中起着重要作用; 特别是在确定吃什么和吃多少方面是重要的。 食物的选择对几个健康问题有影响，包括肥胖， 高血压和癌症。 了解初始处理 味觉信号提供了理解的必要基础 影响复杂行为的高级处理过程。

There are several spatially segregated and functionally distinct subpopulations of taste buds in the mouth. Most studies of central gustatory physiology have investigated responses arising from just one of them, the taste buds on the anterior tongue, which account for less than 15 % of all taste buds. Much less is known about the chemosensitive response profiles of central neurons that receive afferent information from other taste receptor subpopulations, interactions between them, or about the organization of central pathways as it relates to these distinct taste bud groups. The long-term goal of the work described in this proposal is to provide a comprehensive description of the central processing of gustatory information, which encompasses all oral taste buds. These experiments will use both neurophysiological and neuroanatomical techniques to accomplish this goal in the first- and second-order gustatory relay nuclei in the brainstem, the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) and the parabrachial nuclei (PBN). First, these experiments will define the chemosensitive response profiles of NST neurons that respond to a neglected set of taste bud subpopulations, those in the posterior oral cavity. Second, they will elucidate principles of how NST neurons integrate spatially-convergent gustatory information. Third, they will describe how receptive field organization and representation change at the next synaptic relay, the PBN. Finally, these experiments will explore relationships between the afferent and efferent characteristics of brainstem gustatory neurons, to provide a more complete context for understanding their function. The gustatory system plays an important role in modulating eating behavior; in particular it is important in determining what and how much is eaten. Food choice has an impact on several health problems, including obesity, hypertension and cancer. Understanding the initial processing of gustatory signals provides a necessary basis for understanding the higher-level processing that influences complex behavioral acts.