A New Gustometer for Taste Testing in Rodents

Abstract

In recent years, to circumvent the interpretive limitations associated with intake tests commonly used to assess taste function in rodents, investigators have developed devices called gustometers to deliver small volumes of taste samples and measure immediate responses, thereby increasing confidence that the behavior of the animal is under orosensory control. Most of these gustometers can be used to measure unconditioned licking behavior to stimuli presented for short durations and/or can be used to train the animal to respond to various fluid stimuli differentially so as to obtain a reward and/or avoid punishment. Psychometric sensitivity and discrimination functions can thus be derived. Here, we describe a new gustometer design, successfully used in behavioral experiments, that was guided by our experience with an older version used for over 2 decades. The new computer-controlled gustometer features no dead space in stimulus delivery lines, effective cleaning of the licking substrate, and the ability to measure licking without passing electrical current through the animal. The parts and dimensions are detailed, and the benefits and limitations of certain design features are discussed. Schematics for key circuits are provided as supplemental information. Accordingly, it should be possible to fabricate this device in a fashion customized for one's needs.

Behavioral analyses of taste function and ingestion in rodent models

“…Around that time, along with the creative inspirations of Ross Henderson, we designed an entirely new gustometer that was built by the great instrumentation shop at FSU that I mentioned earlier. We now have a new rat version and a new mouse version (Figure 9) [56]. …”

Frequency-Amplitude Cross Interaction during Pulsatile Taste Delivery Using Gustometers

“…This can be achieved by modifying pipe length, radius and flow rate between experiments to maintain a constant Ω, avoiding repercussions on the sensory readout. The simplest solution might be to work in a range where Ω tends to 0, for example in the absence of a pipe after the mixing chamber, such as that recently presented by Spector et al (2015). …”

Chemospecific deficits in taste sensitivity following bilateral or right hemispheric gustatory cortex lesions in rats

“…We used computer‐controlled devices known as gustometers (Spector et al, 2015) to test the taste sensitivity of rats to NaCl, Maltrin, and citric acid. The gustometer allows for the highly controlled delivery of fluid (~5 μl) and measurement of immediate licking responses.…”