TY - JOUR
T1 - Slow cortical DC-potential responses to sweet and bitter tastes in humans
AU - Schmitt, B.
AU - Marshall, L.
AU - Nitsche, M.
AU - Hallschmid, M.
AU - Eulitz, C.
AU - Born, J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Anja Otterbein for technical assistance. This work was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to J.B.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - Processing of hedonic stimulus quality is assumed to be accompanied by a tuning of cortical arousal and excitability. In this pilot study in 11 healthy humans scalp-recorded DC potentials were assessed during application of a sweet (sucrose) and bitter (quinine hydrochloride) taste, i.e., primary reinforcers of positive and negative quality. Muscular, ocular, and skin potential activity were controlled. Application of sucrose induced a widespread positive DC-potential shift with an amplitude of 40-50 μV and persisting for more than 120-s post-stimulus onset. Following administration of quinine hydrochloride, this positive shift was reduced, most distinctly between 48- and 88-s post-stimulus onset. The reduction appeared to be most consistent at anterior midline recording sites (Fz, Cz). It is assumed that the higher DC-potential positivity during sweetness than during bitterness points to a differential tuning of cortical excitability by a widespread decrease in depolarization of apical dendrites.
AB - Processing of hedonic stimulus quality is assumed to be accompanied by a tuning of cortical arousal and excitability. In this pilot study in 11 healthy humans scalp-recorded DC potentials were assessed during application of a sweet (sucrose) and bitter (quinine hydrochloride) taste, i.e., primary reinforcers of positive and negative quality. Muscular, ocular, and skin potential activity were controlled. Application of sucrose induced a widespread positive DC-potential shift with an amplitude of 40-50 μV and persisting for more than 120-s post-stimulus onset. Following administration of quinine hydrochloride, this positive shift was reduced, most distinctly between 48- and 88-s post-stimulus onset. The reduction appeared to be most consistent at anterior midline recording sites (Fz, Cz). It is assumed that the higher DC-potential positivity during sweetness than during bitterness points to a differential tuning of cortical excitability by a widespread decrease in depolarization of apical dendrites.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034481343&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0031-9384(00)00379-6
DO - 10.1016/S0031-9384(00)00379-6
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 11239678
AN - SCOPUS:0034481343
SN - 0031-9384
VL - 71
SP - 581
EP - 587
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
IS - 5
ER -