Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
Published on: August 17, 2018
Capsaicin-sensitive afferent vagal fibers are involved in concurrent taste aversion learning
María A Zafra1, Manuel Prados, Filomena Molina
1Psychobiology, University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain. mazafra@ugr.es
Abstract:
Taste aversion learning (TAL) is a type of learning characterized by rejection of a gustatory/flavor stimulus as a consequence of its pairing with visceral discomfort and malaise. TAL can be established in the laboratory by two different behavioral procedures, concurrent or sequential. Neural mechanisms of these learning modalities remain to be elucidated, but several studies have discussed the implication of various anatomical structures, including the vagus nerve. The aim of this study was to examine the role of capsaicin-sensitive vagal afferent fibers in concurrent (Experiment 1) and sequential (Experiment 2) TAL in Wistar rats. Results showed that perivagal administration of capsaicin (1mg of capsaicin dissolved in 1ml of vehicle (10% Tween 80 in oil)) blocked acquisition of concurrent but not sequential TAL. These data support the hypothesis of two different modalities of TAL mediated by distinct neurobiological systems, with vagal nerve participation only being essential in concurrent TAL.
Related Concept Videos
Conditioned Taste Aversion
A notable characteristic of conditioned taste aversion is that it often requires only a single exposure...
The Physiology of Taste
Gustation
Taste Buds and Receptors
Thermosensation
Tactile and Chemical Senses

