Effects of experience on striatal sensory responses.

It has been well documented that striatal neurons encode and process sensory information. It was the aim of the present experiment to determine the extent to which behavioral experience influenced striatal sensory responses. Single units were recorded in the striatum of awake restrained cats as they were adapted to the recording situation. To facilitate recording, cats were rewarded with milk for remaining quiet and motionless. As animals evidenced familiarity with the testing environment, striatal neurons showed heightened sensory receptivity. These results indicate the important influence of behavioral determinants of striatal sensory responses. The nature of the behavioral experience may determine the way in which sensory information is processed in this part of the basal ganglia.