The CNS weighting of external and internal factors in feeding behavior

CNS weighting of sweet taste and internal signals was determined by matching food sucrose concentration and pulse frequency of hypothalamic stimulation to maintain a constant feeding bout. The slope of the derived power function, -0.260, indicates that changes in internal signals are weighted much more heavily than changes in sucrose concentration in determining feeding behavior. This is the first demonstration of a mathematical relationship specifying the relative weights of external and internal factors. The relative weights of these factors were not altered by taste-receptor anesthesia. This indicates that receptor desensitivity does not affect how information is processed centrally.