Electrophysiological Investigation of the Gustatory Effect of Ethyl Alcohol I: The Summated Response of the Chorda Tympani in the Cat, Dog and Rat

GÖRAN HELLEKANT

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19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hellekant, G. Electrophysiological investigation of the gustatory effect of ethyl alcohol. I: The summated response of the chorda tympani in the cat, dog and rat. Acta physiol. scand. 1965. 64. 392–397. – The summated response of the chorda tympani nerve to alcohol is characterized by an initial depression, a slow onset of the discharge and then a strong positive response to a water rinse. The initial period of decreased activity is related to the alcohol concentration, in such a way that a stronger solution diminishes the period of depressed activity in the nerve. The increase of activity is greater in the cat and the dog than in the rat. This positive response in the cat and rat shows a maximum after which no further increase in the response can be observed with increased alcohol concentration. Evidence is presented that the strong response to water after alcohol emanates from gustatory fibres which respond positively to water. The possibility of rat gustatory responses to water and the types of gustatory fibres responsive to alcohol are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)392-397
Number of pages6
JournalActa Physiologica Scandinavica
Volume64
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1965

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