NEURAL BASIS OF TASTE ELICITED INGESTION AND REJECTION

这项研究的目的是确定神经 在啮齿动物的后脑基板通过味觉刺激 引导摄食行为。 虽然摄食的调节 行为是非常复杂的，涉及广泛的地区， 中枢神经系统，味觉的基本调节功能 在尾侧脑干中是完整的 慢性肌电图 记录实验已经描述了摄食行为的特征， 和对味觉刺激的排斥， 序列的一个子集的三叉神经，面部，模棱两可， 舌下肌 舌下神经元的记录 与肌电图平行的是， 从牵开器运动神经元到不同的 在摄取和排斥期间的味觉刺激。 神经 介导这些口腔运动反应的底物是多突触的， 解剖学实验已经描绘出脑干中 网状结构和孤束核作为候选者 协调和排序复杂的协同增效作用的区域 摄入和排斥。 利用神经生理学技术 急性实验，这些区域的神经元将被测试， 他们对口腔内触觉、味觉和 本体感受刺激和与口运动核的连接。 的 在摄取期间将测试中间神经元的动态响应 和排斥反应，并与慢性运动神经元反应进行比较。 实验 解剖追踪研究将确定 不同反应的牵拉和牵开运动神经元 味觉刺激具有不同的中间神经元投射。 慢性 例如肥胖症、高血压和神经性厌食症的疾病， 与饮食失调有关 了解神经学 这一基本的生物学决定的基础， 将有助于最终解决这些慢性 衰弱性疾病

The objective of this research proposal is to determine the neural substrate in the rodent hindbrain through which gustatory stimuli guides ingestive behavior. Although the regulation of ingestive behavior is exceedingly complex, involving widespread regions of the central nervous system, the basic regulatory function of taste is complete in the caudal brainstem. Chronic electromyographic recording experiments have characterized the behaviors of ingestion and rejection to gustatory stimuli by determining the activation sequences of a subset of trigeminal, facial, ambiguous and hypoglossal muscles. Recording from hypoglossal neurons in parallel with the electromyography reveals differential responses of protruder motoneurons from retractor motoneurons to different gustatory stimuli during ingestion and rejection. The neural substrate mediating these oro-motor responses is polysynaptic and anatomical experiments have delineated regions in the brainstem reticular formation and nucleus of the solitary tract as candidate regions for coordinating and sequencing the complex synergies of ingestion and rejection. Using neurophysiological techniques in acute experiments, neurons in these regions will be tested for their sensitivities to intra-oral tactile, gustatory and proprioceptive stimuli and connectivity to oro-motor nuclei. The dynamic responses of interneurons will be tested during ingestion and rejection and compared to motoneuron responses in chronic experiments. Anatomical tracing studies will determine if protruder and retractor motoneurons that respond differentially to gustatory stimuli have different interneuron projections. Chronic disorders such as obesity, hypertension and anorexia nervosa are related to disordered ingestion. Understanding the neurological basis of this fundamental biological decision to ingest or reject will contribute to the eventual solution of these chronic debilitating disorders