Cortical spatial aspects of optical intrinsic signals in response to sucrose and NaCl stimuli.
To examine whether cortical taste neurons use spatial codes for discriminating taste information, we investigated the spatial aspects of optical intrinsic signal (OIS) responses in the gustatory insular cortex (GC) elicited by the administration of two essential tastants, sucrose and NaCl, on the tongue. OIS responses to sucrose appeared in the rostral part of the GC, whereas those to NaCl appeared in the central part of the GC. Local anesthetization of the tongue abolished OIS responses, and the administration of distilled water elicited no OIS response. Thus, taste information elicited by sucrose and NaCl from the peripheral sensory organs is segregated in the GC, suggesting that the information from two essential tastants is assembled as spatial codes in the primary cortical taste area through the process of taste quality perception.
Yoshimura
Hiroshi
H
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada-cho 920-0293, Japan. hyoshimu@kanaza-med.ac.jp
Sugai
Tokio
T
Fukuda
Mitsuhiro
M
Segami
Natsuki
N
Onoda
Norihiko
N
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods
D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013395:Sucrose