An amygdalopontine pathway promotes motor programs of ingestion.

ABSTRACT: Despite internal cues that signal fullness, animals can continue eating when motivated by context or palatability. The neural pathways and signals that enable animals to override these fullness cues remain unclear. We examined a central amygdala (CeA) projection to the dorsolateral pons that targets the parabrachial nucleus, a well-established meal termination center, and the adjacent supratrigeminal nucleus, a region that controls orofacial movements. Activity in this CeA^pons pathway correlated with the animal's licking behavior but was not modulated by metabolic need or palatability cues. CeA^pons stimulation caused animals to overeat, consume non-edible objects within reach, or exhibit ingestion-like behaviors-licking, chewing, and grasping-even when no target was p

SUBMITTER: Lafferty DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12190466 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature