It is well known that the perirhinal (Prh) and insular (IC) cortices are reciprocally connected, mainly through ipsilateral projections. Although some studies have demonstrated that excitotoxic lesions to these regions, each separately, disrupt taste neophobia, it is not yet known whether the two regions have functional interactions with one another. To find out if they form a functional unit, we examined the effects of crossed excitotoxic lesions to the Prh and the contralateral IC (contralateral group). This group's performance was compared to that of rats with ipsilateral Prh and IC lesions (ipsilateral group) and to that of control-operated rats. All the animals received a 0.3% saccharin solution for fifteen minutes on five consecutive days. Rats with contralateral Prh-IC lesions drank significantly higher amounts of saccharin than the other groups during the first encounter with the novel taste, indicating a disruption in neophobia. However, the lesions did not disrupt attenuation of neophobia, with the contralateral group reaching asymptote in trial 2 and the rest of the groups after 3–5 days of exposure to the saccharin. These findings suggest that both Prh and IC play a necessary role in taste neophobia. Additionally, the two cortices function interdependently and their interaction is critical for normal expression of taste neophobia.

众所周知，perirhinal (Prh) 和岛叶 (IC) 皮质是相互连接的，主要是通过同侧投影。尽管一些研究表明，这些区域的兴奋性毒性损伤，每个区域都会破坏味觉新恐惧症，但目前尚不清楚这两个区域是否相互具有功能性相互作用。为了找出它们是否形成一个功能单元，我们检查了交叉兴奋毒性病变对 Prh 和对侧 IC（对侧组）的影响。将该组的表现与同侧 Prh 和 IC 病变的大鼠（同侧组）和对照手术大鼠的表现进行比较。所有动物连续五天接受 0.3% 糖精溶液 15 分钟。对侧 Prh-IC 病变的大鼠在第一次遇到新口味时比其他组喝了显着更多的糖精，表明新恐惧症的破坏。然而，病变并未破坏新恐惧症的减弱，对侧组在试验 2 中达到渐近线，其余组在暴露于糖精 3-5 天后达到渐近线。这些发现表明，Prh 和 IC 在味觉新恐惧症中都发挥着必要的作用。此外，两个皮质的功能相互依赖，它们的相互作用对于味觉恐惧症的正常表达至关重要。对侧组在试验 2 中达到渐近线，其余组在暴露于糖精 3-5 天后达到渐近线。这些发现表明，Prh 和 IC 在味觉新恐惧症中都发挥着必要的作用。此外，两个皮质的功能相互依赖，它们的相互作用对于味觉恐惧症的正常表达至关重要。对侧组在试验 2 中达到渐近线，其余组在暴露于糖精 3-5 天后达到渐近线。这些发现表明，Prh 和 IC 在味觉新恐惧症中都发挥着必要的作用。此外，两个皮质的功能相互依赖，它们的相互作用对于味觉恐惧症的正常表达至关重要。