Yamamoto Takashi
Department of Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Japan.
Arch Histol Cytol. 2006 Dec;69(4):243-55. doi: 10.1679/aohc.69.243.
Taste is unique among the sensory systems in that, besides its recognition of quality, it is innately associated with hedonic aspects of reward and aversion. This review of the literature will show how taste information is conveyed through the central gustatory pathways to the cortical gustatory area and is processed in terms of qualitative and quantitative aspects. Taste information is also sent to the reward system and feeding center via several brain sites including the prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, and amygdala. The reward system contains the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and ventral pallidum; it finally sends information to the lateral hypothalamic area, the feeding center. The dopamine system originating from the ventral tegmental area mediates the motivation to consume palatable food. The actual ingestive behavior is promoted by the orexigenic neuropeptides from the hypothalamus. In the last section, the neural substrate of learning and memory of taste is introduced and the biological mechanisms are elucidated.
味觉在感觉系统中独具特色，因为除了能识别味道品质外，它还与生俱来地与奖励和厌恶的享乐方面相关联。对文献的这一综述将展示味觉信息是如何通过中枢味觉通路传递至皮质味觉区，并在质和量的方面进行处理的。味觉信息还通过包括前额叶皮质、岛叶皮质和杏仁核在内的多个脑区部位发送至奖励系统和进食中枢。奖励系统包括腹侧被盖区、伏隔核和腹侧苍白球；它最终将信息发送至下丘脑外侧区，即进食中枢。源自腹侧被盖区的多巴胺系统介导了摄取美味食物的动机。下丘脑分泌的促食欲神经肽促进了实际的摄食行为。在最后一部分，将介绍味觉学习和记忆的神经基础，并阐明其生物学机制。
