# Temporal Coding in the Gustatory System of the Brain

> **NIH NIH R01** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON · 2020 · $427,556

## Abstract

The broad, long term objectives of this project are to discover how neurons in the brain encode information
about taste stimuli. To further our understanding of taste processing, the present project is focused on temporal
coding in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) the first central relay in the rat taste system. In addition to receiving
information about taste directly from the tongue, the NTS also receives input from a number of higher order brain
structures. In the present proposal, we will investigate the descending influence of two of these structures, the
gustatory cortex (GC) and the lateral hypothalamus (LH) on temporal coding in the NTS and on learned behavior.
 HYPOTHESES are a) centrifugal input from the GC to the NTS modulates the temporal characteristics of taste-
evoked spike trains and that these changes will be expressed as changes in taste acuity and discrimination., and b)
LH-NTS input regulates behavioral responses to taste, i.e. licking, and thus controls the events around which the
temporal code is referenced.
 SPECIFIC AIMS: 1) Using selective optogenetic (OG) stimulation of the GC input to the NTS, test the
hypothesis that this input will change the temporal characteristics of taste responses (including temporal pattern
and firing rate) increasing the quantity of information conveyed about taste quality (Experiment 1.1) and enhancing
discrimination of similar tastants (Experiment 1.2). We will use Go-no-Go (GnG) and conditioned taste aversion
(CTA) paradigms (in separate groups of rats) as tests of taste discrimination. For all experiments, it is hypothesized
that inhibition of GC-NTS input will have opposite effects. 2) Test the hypothesis that LH-NTS input modifies lick-
related and anti-lick neural activity in rostral NTS neurons according to palatability (Experiment 2.1) and that that
selective OG enhancement of LH-NTS terminals will modify the performance in GnG and CTA paradigms through a
specific modification in the ability to control initiation and inhibition of lick bouts (Experiment 2.2). Both excitatory and
inhibitory viruses will be used.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9994974
- **Project number:** 5R01DC006914-15
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON
- **Principal Investigator:** PATRICIA M DI LORENZO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $427,556
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2005-12-12 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9994974

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9994974, Temporal Coding in the Gustatory System of the Brain (5R01DC006914-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9994974. Licensed CC0.

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