Applied Neurophysiology

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the limbic system. The most primitive sensing system for detection of food or toxic substances in the environment should be highly sensitive chemoreceptors, and the central processing of these signals in evolving nervous systems should be used for appetitive behavioral patterns. Second-order gustatory neurons from the solitary nucleus decussate almost immediately within the reticular formation and pass by the tractus solitarius to medial and ventral nuclei of the thalamus for perception of taste. Olfactory sensation is a related sensory function. The neural substratum for motivation and its related subjective experience of emotion is best understood by looking at the distributed functions separately. Stimulation of the raphe nuclei leads to a widespread release of serotonin throughout the forebrain.