GUSTATORY THALAMUS AND TASTE GUIDED BEHAVIOR

本研究的长期目标是阐明味觉丘脑在味觉引导行为中的作用。 本研究的目的是探讨味觉丘脑主要参与味觉引导行为的复杂准备过程而非完成过程的假说。 准备阶段由复杂的感知和认知策略组成，这些策略引导环境搜索潜在的食物来源;相比之下，完成阶段（由后脑服务）涉及一旦食物与嘴接触时的进食和饮水反应。 三个系列的实验将进行使用大鼠与电生理引导鹅膏蕈氨酸损伤的味觉丘脑。 具体目标1号的实验旨在通过检查复杂味觉信息处理任务的表现来确定损伤诱导的高阶联想学习缺陷的性质，所述复杂味觉信息处理任务类似地涉及获得的味觉厌恶的强度的调制。 通过检查仪器对比程序的性能，在特定目标2号中提出的研究将确定味觉丘脑是否作为一般奖励比较机制发挥作用，从而破坏涉及味觉奖励的所有形式的对比效应。 最后，具体目标3的实验将确定在具有丘脑味觉区损伤的大鼠中发现的对比度缺陷是否是由味觉记忆的潜在功能障碍引起的。 本申请中提出的研究结果将显著增强我们对大鼠丘脑味觉区信息处理作用的理解。

The long-term objective of the current proposal is to elucidate the role of the gustatory thalamus in taste-guided behavior. The proposed research is intended to investigate the hypothesis that the gustatory thalamus is primarily involved with sophisticated preparatory, but not the consummatory, aspects of taste-guided behavior. The preparatory phase consists of complex perceptual and cognitive strategies that guide the environmental search for potential food sources; the consummatory phase (served by the hindbrain), by comparison, involves eating and drinking responses once food makes contact with the mouth. Three series of experiment will be undertaken using rats with electrophysiologically guided ibotenic acid lesions of the gustatory thalamus. The experiments of Specific Aim number 1 are intended to determine the nature of the lesion-induced higher-order associative learning deficit by examining performance on complex taste information processing tasks which similarly involve the modulation of the strength of an acquired gustatory aversion. By examining performance on instrumental contrast procedures, the research proposed in Specific Aim number 2 will determine if the gustatory thalamus functions as a general reward comparison mechanism such that lesions disrupt all forms of contrast effects involving gustatory rewards. Finally, the experiments of Specific Aim number 3 will determine if the contrast deficits found in rats with lesions of the thalamic taste area result from an underlying dysfunction of gustatory memory. The results of the research proposed in this application will significantly enhance our understanding of the information processing role(s) of the thalamic taste area of the rat.