The parabrachial nucleus and conditioned taste aversion

The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) surrounds the brachium conjunctivum in the dorsolateral pens, Although composed of numerous subnuclei, the PEN is typically organized into medial and lateral subdivisions according to their location relative to the brachium, In rodents, the medial PEN is part of the central gustatory system, whereas the lateral PEN is a component of the visceral sensory system, Lesions of the PEN disrupt conditioned taste aversion, a critically important learning mechanism that prevents the repealed ingestion of toxic food. Relevant neurobehavioral literature is reviewed to elucidate the role of the PBN in taste aversion learning. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.