OLFACTORY BULBECTOMY IN RATS MODULATES FEEDING PATTERN BUT NOT TOTAL FOOD-INTAKE

The role of olfactory input in the regulation of food intake and feedi ng patterns in rats was investigated by performing bilateral olfactory bulbectomy. Compared to control rats, bulbectomized rats ate the same amount of food, but did so via a decrease in meal size, and a doublin g in meal number. Although no increase in meal duration occurred, the exploratory behavior of sniffing during meals and between meals also i ncreased significantly. While it is not yet clear how the olfactory bu lbs participate in regulating food intake configuration resulting in c hanged feeding patterns, their clinical role can be appreciated by obs erving the acute changes in feeding pattern that occur when their inpu t to the lateral hypothalamic area is damaged experimentally.