The parabrachial nucleus is a region in the pons human brain

Human brain

The human brain has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times larger than the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size. Estimates for the number of neurons in the human brain range from 80 to 120 billion...

 that is related to the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS). It can be subdivided into the lateral parabrachial nucleus

Lateral parabrachial nucleus

The lateral parabrachial nucleus induces thirst by stimulating the median preoptic nucleus.It gets its name from its location relative to the superior cerebellar peduncles, which is also known as the "brachia conjunctiva"....

 (LPBN) and the medial parabrachial nucleus

Medial parabrachial nucleus

The Medial parabrachial nucleus is a nucleus of the pons which constitutes part of the pneumotaxic center.It gets its name from its location relative to the superior cerebellar peduncles, which is also known as the "brachia conjunctiva"....

. The parabrachial nucleus connects the reticular formation

Reticular formation

The reticular formation is a part of the brain that is involved in actions such as awaking/sleeping cycle, and filtering incoming stimuli to discriminate irrelevant background stimuli...

 to the thalamic relay nuclei as well as the intralaminar and related nuclei.

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

Thalamus

The thalamus is a midline paired symmetrical structure within the brains of vertebrates, including humans. It is situated between the cerebral cortex and midbrain, both in terms of location and neurological connections...

 and the other connects the parabrachial nucleus to the central nucleus of the amygdala

Amygdala

The ' are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.-...

 and lateral hypothalamus

Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions...

. Lesions of the parabrachial nucleus disrupt conditioned taste aversion.

A lesion to this pathway can lead to decreased consciousness

Consciousness

Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...

.