Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Matthew Ricci, Junkyung Kim, Fredrik Johansson
Summary: The cerebellar Purkinje cell controls eyeblinks and can learn, remember, and reproduce the timing of stimuli in a classical conditioning paradigm. Previous models suggest that the perception of time is represented in upstream networks, but direct stimulation of the Purkinje cell during conditioning still results in a well-timed response. Furthermore, experimental findings indicate that the acquired Purkinje cell response is insensitive to variations in the temporal structure of probe stimulation, motivating the development of alternative models.
FRONTIERS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anna Sadnicka, Lorenzo Rocchi, Anna Latorre, Elena Antelmi, James Teo, Isabel Parees, Britt S. Hoffland, Kristian Brock, Katja Kornysheva, Mark J. Edwards, Kailash P. Bhatia, John C. Rothwell
Summary: This study aimed to examine the influence of dystonia on eyeblink conditioning and explore its relationship with sex, age, and dystonia subtypes. The results showed that isolated dystonia and its subtypes had similar eyeblink conditioning levels compared to the control group, and a wide range of variability was observed in both healthy individuals and dystonia patients. This finding suggests that there is no global cerebellar learning deficit in isolated dystonia.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Wei-Wei Zhang, Rong-Rong Li, Jie Zhang, Jie Yan, Qian-Hui Zhang, Zhi-An Hu, Bo Hu, Zhong-Xiang Yao, Hao Chen
Summary: Using in vivo multi-channel recording and optogenetics, researchers found that hippocampal interneurons exhibited conditioned stimulus (CS)-evoked sustained activity, which played a predictive role in the performance of conditioned eyeblink responses (CRs) in the early acquisition of trace eyeblink conditioning (tEBC). Optogenetic suppression of the sustained activity of hippocampal interneurons impaired the acquisition of tEBC, suggesting the crucial role of these interneurons in associative learning.
NEUROSCIENCE BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Henk-Jan Boele, Sangyun Joung, Joanne E. Fil, Austin T. Mudd, Stephen A. Fleming, Sebastiaan K. E. Koekkoek, Ryan N. Dilger
Summary: By conducting eyeblink conditioning experiments on 3-week-old pigs, it has been demonstrated for the first time that young pigs have the potential to be a valuable behavioral tool in measuring neurodevelopment through cerebellar classical conditioning tasks.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Psychology, Biological
Wayson Maturana, Isabela Lobo, J. Landeira-Fernandez, Daniel C. Mograbi
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline and the presence of brain abnormalities. This review explores the impact of Alzheimer's disease on nondeclarative associative learning, such as eyeblink conditioning and fear conditioning. Evidence suggests that nondeclarative learning is also affected by Alzheimer's disease, but some forms may be relatively preserved. The findings have implications for understanding the effects of the disease on different types of memory.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
F. R. Fiocchi, S. Dijkhuizen, S. K. E. Koekkoek, C. I. De Zeeuw, H. J. Boele
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated stimulus generalization in a cerebellar learning paradigm called eyeblink conditioning. They found that mice showed a strong generalization gradient, with the probability and amplitude of conditioned eyelid responses decreasing as the tones' dissimilarity to the 10-kHz tone increased. The researchers also discovered that lower frequency tones resulted in conditioned responses that peaked earlier after tone onset compared to higher frequency tones.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Matthew M. Campolattaro, Olga Lipatova, Katherine Horenstein
Summary: Research investigated the effect of electrolytic fornix lesions on trace and delay eyeblink conditioning in rats. Results showed that fornix lesions impaired trace conditioning but not delay conditioning. The findings indicate that trace eyeblink conditioning relies on the hippocampus and that neural pathways for delay and trace conditioning differ even when the cue composition is the same.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Carlos Alexandre Gomes, Katharina M. Steiner, Nicolas Ludolph, Tamas Spisak, Thomas M. Ernst, Oliver Mueller, Sophia L. Goricke, Franziska Labrenz, Winfried Ilg, Nikolai Axmacher, Dagmar Timmann
Summary: The study found that cerebellar diseases directly affect the integrity of white matter in the brain and are related to behavioral performance in motor tasks.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Emiliano Trimarco, Pierandrea Mirino, Daniele Caligiore
Summary: Children with ASD show abnormal behavior during delay eyeblink conditioning, with a higher conditioned response learning rate and earlier peak latency. A spiking neuron model suggests that these atypical learning patterns may be linked to reduced Purkinje cell numbers and hyper-connections of the cerebellum with sensory and motor cortex. The model has been validated using behavioral data from real children, providing a starting point for understanding the link between ASD learning and neurobiological basis.
FRONTIERS IN SYSTEMS NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Rui Li, Qi Li, Xiaolei Chu, Lan Li, Xiaoyi Li, Juan Li, Zhen Yang, Mingjing Xu, Changlu Luo, Kui Zhang
Summary: This study establishes a behavioral model to investigate the role of the cerebellar cortex in associative learning and memory. The results show that successful conditioning can be achieved in certain experimental groups, suggesting the importance of the cerebellum in eyeblink conditioning.
OPEN LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Marjorie Xie, Samuel P. Muscinelli, Kameron Decker Harris, Ashok Litwin-Kumar
Summary: This article discusses the neural representation models and learning theories of the cerebellar granule cell layer. The research findings suggest that for tasks involving continuous input-output transformations and smooth motor control, the optimal granule cell representation is denser than predicted by traditional theories.
Review
Neurosciences
Kyoung-Doo Hwang, Sang Jeong Kim, Yong-Seok Lee
Summary: The cerebellum plays a critical role in modulating fear memory network and prediction, with involvement at the cellular and synaptic levels. Understanding the contributions of distinct cerebellar structures to fear learning and memory may lead to more effective treatment strategies for fear-related affective disorders.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Pierson Fleischer, Aamir Abbasi, Andrew W. Fealy, Nathan P. Danielsen, Ramneet Sandhu, Philip R. Raj, Tanuj Gulati
Summary: The emergent activity in cortico-cerebellar networks during the learning of a reach-to-grasp motor skill, characterized by low-frequency oscillatory (LFO) activity in the motor cortex and cerebellum, was investigated in rats. Coordinated movement-related activity was observed in the local-field potentials as the skill consolidated, specifically in rats that gained expertise in the task. The study also found coordinated spiking activity with LFOs predominantly expressed during accurate behavior in the primary motor cortex.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Roderick P. P. W. M. Maas, Dennis J. L. G. Schutter, Ivan Toni, Dagmar Timmann, Bart P. C. van de Warrenburg
Summary: This study investigated whether repeated sessions of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can modify the acquisition and/or timing of conditioned eyeblink responses (CRs) in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). The results showed that cerebellar tDCS had a significant treatment effect on the timing parameters of CRs, but did not affect CR acquisition. It was also found that the severity of disease measures and the duration of the disease were associated with the timing of CRs.
Article
Neurosciences
Clive H. Y. Wong, Jiao Liu, Tatia M. C. Lee, Jing Tao, Alex W. K. Wong, Bolton K. H. Chau, Lidian Chen, Chetwyn C. H. Chan
Summary: This study investigated the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processing speed using different modalities and task rules in attention tasks. The findings suggest that long-range connections might be related to cognitive control, while short-range connections are associated with rule-based stimulus-response processes. This revealed neural network indicates that automaticity, task rules, and effortful top-down attentional control contribute to cognitive speed.