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Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2002):

The cerebellum in action: a simulation and robotics study.

Full Abstract

The control or prediction of the precise timing of events are central aspects of the many tasks assigned to the cerebellum. Despite much detailed knowledge of its physiology and anatomy, it remains unclear how the cerebellar circuitry can achieve such an adaptive timing function. We present a computational model pursuing this question for one extensively studied type of cerebellar-mediated learning:
the classical conditioning of discrete motor responses. This model combines multiple current assumptions on the function of the cerebellar circuitry and was used to investigate whether plasticity in the cerebellar cortex alone can mediate adaptive conditioned response timing. In particular, we studied the effect of changes in the strength of the synapses formed between parallel fibres and Purkinje cells under the control of a negative feedback loop formed between inferior olive, cerebellar cortex and cerebellar deep nuclei. The learning performance of the model was evaluated at the circuit level in simulated conditioning experiments as well as at the behavioural level using a mobile robot. We demonstrate that the model supports adaptively timed responses under real-world conditions. Thus, in contrast to many other models that have focused on cerebellar-mediated conditioning, we investigated whether and how the suggested underlying mechanisms could give rise to behavioural phenomena.

 

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Author information

Author/s: Hofstötter, Constanze (C); Mintz, Matti (M); Verschure, Paul F M J (PF);

Affiliation: Institute of Neuroinformatics, University and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: The European journal of neuroscience (Eur J Neurosci), published in France. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Oct; vol 16 (issue 7) : pp 1361-76

Dates: Created 2002/10/30; Completed 2002/12/30; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12405996, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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