Functional MRI study of salty taste cortical areas in human

AIM:To investigate the brain activation map induced by salty taste using functional MRI.METHODS:BOLD functional MRI scan covering the whole brain was performed on 11 healthy human subject during event- relate designed stimulation with salty taste and tasteless control.The fMRI data was analyzed by SPM99(Statistical Parametric Mapping) software with statistic t-test to generate the activation map.RESULTS:Cingulate gyrus (BA 24)was the largest activated area detected.Activations were also found in insula and operculum(BA 22),superior parietal lobule (BA 5/7),lentiform nucleus, postcentral gyrus (BA 2),right middle temporal gyrus.CONCLUSION:Activations were found not only in insula and operculum(BA 22),areas described as primary and secondary gustatory cortex by previous anatomical and electrophysiological studies;but also in cingulate gyrus,superior parietal lobule (BA 5/7),lentiform nucleus,postcentral gyrus (BA 2),right middle temporal gyrus,indicating the complexity of human gustatory pathways.