[Psychological dimension of manducation].

Manducation designates all the actions involved in drinking and eating. Thus manducation consists mainly of sucking, retaining and chewing food, salivary secretion, buccofacial somatesthesia, gustation, in some part olfaction, and finally swallowing: consequently an intricate combination of sensorial and both motor and secretory actuating functions, controlled and coordinated by upper neuromuscular functions. In addressing the multiplicity and complexity of rhinencephalic manifestations, which involve conjointly memorizing processes, feeding, sexual and olfactive functions, socioemotional behaviour, and the concept of individual and species preservation, the author has tried to define the psychological dimension of manducation. This viewpoint, which springs from evolution, leads to the discussion of the connexions and operative differences between the ancient rhinencephalic brain and the recent cortical one. The author has attempted to avoid psychological concepts in order to study psychical phenomena.