Changes in sensory responsivity in deep layer neurons of the superior colliculus of behaving rats

Neurons in the deep layers of the superior colliculus in behaving hooded rats were tested for responsivity to visual, auditory, or somesthetic stimuli. Some sensory cells, particularly those responsive to tactile stimuli, showed a change in responsivity (and sometimes an abolishment in firing rate or change in receptive field size) when the animal was gently restrained or placed onto an elevated platform. Thus, sensory neurons in the superior colliculus of the behaving rat have response properties that vary according to the conditions of testing.