Water Intake and the Neural Correlates of the Consciousness of Thirst

Abstract

Thirst and resultant water drinking can arise in response to deficits in both the intracellular and extracellular fluid compartments. Inhibitory influences mediating the satiation of thirst also are necessary to prevent overhydration. The brain regions that underpin the generation or inhibition of thirst in these circumstances can be categorized as sensory, integrative, or cortical effector sites. The anterior cingulate cortex and insula are activated in thirsty human beings as shown by functional brain-imaging techniques. It is postulated that these sites may be cortical effector regions for thirst. A major sensory site for generating thirst is the lamina terminalis in the forebrain. Osmore..