A functional MRI study of taste cortical areas in humans: sweet taste

Objective: To investigate the brain activation map induced by swee t taste using functional MRI. Methods: BOLD functional MRI scan covering the wh ole brain was performed on 11 healthy human subject during Event- relate designe d stimulation with sweet taste and tasteless control .The fMRI data was analyzed by SPM99(Statistical Parametric Mapping) software with statistic t-test to gene rate the activation map. Result: Cingulate gyrus (BA 24)was the largest activate d area detected. And activations were also found in insula, superior parietal lo bule (BA 5/7), left ventral posteromedial (vpm) nucleus, left inferior parietal lobule(BA 40)?left lenticular nucleus?middle frontal gyrus (BA 6/9)?prefrontal c ortex(BA 10). Conclusions: Activations were found not only in insula , ventral posteromedial (vpm) nucleus and prefrontal cortex(BA 10), areas described as pr imary and secondary gustatory cortex by previous anatomical and electrophysiolog ical studies, but also in Cingulate gyrus ,superior parietal lobule (BA 5/7), le ft inferior parietal lobule(BA 40), left lenticular nucleus and middle frontal g yrus (BA 6/9), indicating the complexity of human gustatory pathways.