[Spiny neurons in the rat caudate-putamen complex]

The neostriatum of adult normal rats and of rats after surgical lesion of MFB was investigated by means of the rapid Golgi impregnation procedure. Evidence was given for the spiny neuron population to be heterogenous. It was possible to demonstrate four neuron types clearly distinguishable with respect to size and shape of the soma, dendritic pattern, and axon morphology. The morphological heterogeneity of the spiny neurons of the caudatus-putamen-complex of the rat presented here is discussed in functional terms (interneuron and efferent neuron nature, resp.).