Spontaneous activity of type II but not type I striatal neurons is correlated with recovery of behavioral function after dopamine-depleting brain lesions.

The relation between the spontaneous firing of Type I striatal neurons and recovery of behavioral function after near-total dopamine depletions of the rat striatum was investigated. The results demonstrate that the activity of Type I neurons remains elevated in recovered animals, which contrasts with our previous finding that the firing rates of Type II striatal neurons return to normal levels in association with behavioral recovery.