Basal ganglia involvement in the playfulness of juvenile rats

Play is an important part of normal childhood development and can be readily studied in the laboratory rat in the form of rough-and-tumble play. Given the robust nature of rough-and-tumble play, it has often been assumed that the basal ganglia would have a prominent role in modulating this behavior. Recent work using c-fos expression as a metabolic marker for neural activity combined with temporary inactivation of relevant corticostriatal...