The cerebellum may implement the appropriate coupling of sensory inputs and motor responses: evidence from vestibular physiology.
Starting from a survey of current ideas on the role of the cerebellum in sensorimotor transformations, the present review summarizes the results of recent experiments showing that (a) somatosensory signals modify the spatial organization of the postural reflexes, thus leading to body stability, and (b) otolith input changes the plane of reflex eye movements, by keeping it perpendicular to the gravito-inertial vector. Evidence will be given that both transformations require the integrity of specific cerebellar regions. These data indicates that the cerebellum allows an optimal input-output coupling in relation to the ultimate behavioural goal of the motor activity.
Manzoni
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Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Biochimica, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy. manzoni@dfb.unipi.it
D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009043:Motor Activity; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000502:physiology*