Question

Information from the tongue projects via cranial nerves to the medulla and thalamus, then on to two cortical regions, the insular cortex, which is the primary sensory cortex for gustation and another cortical area. Name that other cortical area and explain its role In gustatory information processing.

Answer 1

The gustatory pathway is responsible for carrying taste sensations from the tongue to the brain.
The taste sensations from the tongue are carried through three cranial nerves : glossopharyngeal, facial and vagus nerve. These cranial nerves synapse in the solitary nucleus in the medulla. The information is then relayed on to thalamus. Thalamus sends the information to the gustatory cortex in the primary somatosensory area. The gustatory cortex consists of anterior insula of insular lobe and the frontal operculum of frontal lobe.
So the another structure or cortical area involved is frontal operculum of frontal lobe.
The frontal operculum helps in food identification, recognition and selection.