2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Study on the correlation between taste perception and the brain activity of human gustatory cortex
| Project/Area Number |
14390059
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
広領域
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| Research Institution | National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) |
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Principal Investigator |
SAITO Sachiko National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Neuroscience Research Institute, Leader, 脳神経情報研究部門, グループ長 (30344138)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
OGAWA Hisashi Kumamoto University, Faculty of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor, 大学院・医学薬学研究部, 教授 (20040181)
IKEDA Minoru Nihon University, School of Medicine, Associate professor, 医学部, 助教授 (30130420)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2004
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| Keywords | taste / magnetoencephalography(MEG) / concentration / human gustatory pathway / fMRI / primary gustatory cortex(PGC) / laterality / chorda tympani nerve |
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| Research Abstract |
1)The mechanism by which the human gustatory cortices vary their activity with changes in taste concentration is not well understood. In this study, we recorded changes in magnetic fields of the human brain in response to four concentrations (30,100,300,1000 mM) of NaCl. We examined the relationships between NaCl concentration and the magnitude or latency of the equivalent current dipole (BCD) with the shortest latency in the primary gustatory area of the cerebral cortex (PGA). The average perceived intensity increased in a concentration-dependent manner in lower three concentrations, but was saturated at highest concentration. The average magnitude of BCD in the PGA, on the other hand, increased significantly in a concentration-dependent manner through all concentrations. The latency of the first BCD in the PGA, however, did not vary with variations in concentration.
2)The cortical activation at the transitions between the parietal operculum and the insula (area G) was examined by repe
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titive stimulation of the tongue tip with 1 M NaCl with a computer-controlled stimulator and used fMRI to detect it. Group analysis revealed activation at area G in both hemispheres and in the frontal operculum, rolandic operculum and ventral end of the central sulcus on the left side. The present study revealed no activation on the gyrus of the external cerebral surface except for the rolandic operculum. Taking MEG findings into considerations, the present findings strongly indicate that the primary gustatory area is present at both the transition between the parietal operculum and insula and the rolandic operculum including the gray matter within a ventral part of the central sulcus.
3)We examined the laterally of the human gustatory pathway by measuring gustatory evoked magnetic fields(GEMfs), and demonstrating the activation of the human primary gustatory cortex (PGC). In patients whose chorda tympani nerve had been severed unilaterally on the right side, we stimulated the normal side (i.e.left side) of the chorda tympani nerve with NaCl solution using a device developed for measuring GEMfs. The transitional cortex between the insula and the parietal operculum was identified as PGC with the base of central sulcus(CS). Significant difference was found in frequencies among bilateral, ipsilateral, and contralateral responses by the Friedman test (p<0.05), and more frequent bilateral responses were observed than ipsilateral (p<0.05) or contralateral responses (p<0.01) by the multiple comparison tests. These results suggest that unilateral gustatory stimulation will activate the transitional cortex between the insula and the parietal operculum bilaterally in humans. Less
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Research Products
(9 results)
