CHANGES IN SENSORY RESPONSIVITY IN DEEP LAYER NEURONS OF THE SUPERIORCOLLICULUS OF BEHAVING RATS

Neurons in the deep layers of the superior colliculus in behaving hood ed rats were tested for responsivity to visual, auditory, or somesthet ic stimuli. Some sensory cells, particularly those responsive to tacti le stimuli, showed a change in responsivity (and sometimes an abolishm ent in firing rate or a change in receptive field size) when the anima l was gently restrained or placed onto an elevated platform. Thus, sen sory neurons in the superior colliculus of the behaving rat have respo nse properties that vary according to the conditions of testing.