HUMAN THALAMIC NUCLEUS MEDIATING TASTE AND MULTIPLE OTHER SENSATIONS RELATED TO INGESTIVE BEHAVIOR

Until now, taste was the only primary sensory modality for which the h uman central nervous system pathways were unknown. We report sensation s evoked by stimulation at microampere current levels in the region of the human thalamic nucleus (ventralis caudalis parvocellularis intern is) corresponding to the monkey taste relay nucleus. Stimulation in th is region during awake neurosurgical procedures evoked special viscera l/somatic (taste/pungent smell), general visceral (fullness of a hollo w viscus), as well as painful and nonpainful general somatic sensation s. General somatic or visceral sensation was evoked by stimulation at 80% of sites where special visceral/somatic sensation was evoked. Thes e results suggest that primate taste relay mediates multiple sensation s in addition to taste.