The parabrachial nucleus is a region in the pons human brain that is related to the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS). It can be subdivided into the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) and the medial parabrachial nucleus. The parabrachial nucleus connects the reticular formation to the thalamic relay nuclei as well as the intralaminar and related nuclei.
[edit] Function
In rodents, the parabrachial nucleus is the second relay nucleus in gustatory (taste) processing. Fibers from the nucleus of solitary tract connect to gustatory centers in the parabrachial nucleus, which sends projects along two pathways for taste processing. The first connects the parabrachial nucleus to the ventroposterior medial nucleus of the thalamus and the other connects the parabrachial nucleus to the central nucleus of the amygdala and lateral hypothalamus. Lesions of the parabrachial nucleus disrupt conditioned taste aversion.
A lesion to this pathway can lead to decreased consciousness.
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