Functional morphology of the ventral part of the caudate putamen originating from the parabrachial nucleus: neural circuits connecting feeding behavior and gustatory/visceral senses

Abstract

Feeding behavior is important to maintain health and is closely associated with the gustatory and visceral senses that receive information contained in food. The caudate putamen (striatum) is involved in food, water, and fat intake, and has been reported to affect feeding motivation; however, it is unclear where the neural circuits of the gustatory and visceral senses connect with the caudate putamen. Here, a morphological relationship was identified between the gustatory/visceral neural circuits and the caudate putamen, mainly through parabrachio-thalamo-striatal pathways.