Conditioned Taste Aversion

Abstract
Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is a robust defence device protecting animals against the repeated consumption of toxic food. CTA is due to an association of the gustatory conditional stimulus (CS) with the delayed visceral unconditional stimulus (US). Chapter 1 gives a brief survey of the history of CTA. Chapter 2 describes the methodology of behavioral tests undertaken. Chapter 3 reviews the centers in the brainstem, the diencephalon and insular cortex: the removal of which interferes with CTA. Chapter 4 deals with CTA disruption by local inactivation of insular cortex and of various extracortical regions. Chapter 5 describes drugs which can serve as US in CTA experiments or can block CTA retrieval. Chapter 6 describes the electrophysiology of neurons during formation or retrieval of CTA. Chapter 7 analyzes the interaction of gustatory and visceral afferents manifested by c-fos early genes. Chapter 8 concentrates on the possible repair of CTA blocking lesions by transplantation of fetal grafts. Chapter 9 discusses the paradoxes of CTA research, e.g., learning without awareness, CTA formed during blockade of proteosynthesis, or by rewarding drugs.

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