Perirhinal cortex supports both taste neophobia and its attenuation

Rats are often reluctant to consume novel tastes because they lack knowledge about the postingestive effects the new foods might have. This paper examines the effect of excitotoxic lesions and temporary inactivation of the perirhinal cortex (Prh), a key region in the recognition memory system, on taste neophobia and its attenuation. Using a two-bottle choice paradigm (saccharin vs water), excitotoxic lesions were found to disrupt taste neophobia to 0.3% and 0.5% saccharin. However, the lesions had no effect when using a concentration of 0.7%, which is qualitatively aversive (expt. 1a-1c). In a second series of experiments the same animals were able to acquire a flavor preference learning on the basis of a flavor-taste association. Lesioned and control rats showed, during a choice test, a clear preference for the flavor associated with saccharin (expt. 2a-2c). Finally, in a third series of experiments, Prh inactivation with lidocaine after trial 1 (expt. 3) and after trials 1-3 (expt. 4) delayed attenuation of the neophobia. These findings suggest that Prh lesions do not significantly affect taste processing/ perception. Prh thus appears to play an essential role in taste neophobia and its attenuation.