Neophobic behavior to food and electrical responses of olfactory bulb in rat.

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Abstract
For the purpose of investigating a possible sensory correlate of neophobic behavior, rats maintained on Sorolabo biscuits (S) were offered 2 novel foods, vanilla biscuits (V) and Edam cheese (EC). Multiunit electrical responses elicited by the odors were chronically recorded in olfactory bulbs of rats during neophobic behavior and after the disappearance of neophobia. In the 1st experiment [exp], 10 animals were simultaneously offered V and EC for 4 days. Intake increased till the 3rd day. Olfactory bulb recordings were made in rats stimulated by S, V and EC odors before the rats were offered the new foods (1st session) and on days 3 and 4 (2nd session). The response patterns to S odor were significantly different in hungry and satiated states for both recording periods, a characteristic feature of any food odor. No significant modulation of the response patterns was apparent for V and EC odors during the 1st recording session and a slight modulation was observed for EC odor only in the 2nd session. Habituation of animals to repeated identical stimulations is proposed to explain the lack of correspondence between behavioral and electrophysiological findings. In a 2nd exp, 10 rats received V and EC for 5 days and recordings were made on days 4 and 5 only. Behavioral results replicated those of exp 1. Electrophysiological results showed that when presented at the end of the neophobic period only, V and EC odors elicited modulated responses, as the usual food odor did. A centrifugal control of the olfactory bulb responsiveness was discussed.

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