Eyeblink classical conditioning: hippocampal formation is for neutral stimulus associations as cerebellum is for association-response.
Extensive evidence has been amassed that the cerebellum, hippocampus, and associated circuitry are activated during classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane/eyeblink response. In this article, the authors argue that the cerebellum is essential to all eyeblink classical conditioning paradigms. In addition, the septohippocampal system plays a critical role when the classical conditioning paradigm requires the formation of associations in addition to the simple association between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. When only a simple conditioned stimulus--unconditioned stimulus association is needed, the septohippocampal system has a more limited, modulatory role. The neutral stimulus association versus simple association-response distinction is one of the ways in which declarative or relational memory can be separated from nondeclarative or nonrelational memory in classical conditioning paradigms.
Green
J T
JT
Department of Psychology, Temple University, USA. jtgreen@indiana.edu
Woodruff-Pak
D S
DS
D001767:Blinking; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology