Links from complex spikes to local plasticity and motor learning in the cerebellum of awake-behaving monkeys.
The hypothesis of cerebellar learning proposes that complex spikes in Purkinje cells engage mechanisms of plasticity in the cerebellar cortex; in turn, changes in the cerebellum depress the simple-spike response of Purkinje cells to a given stimulus and cause the adaptive modification of a motor behavior. Many elements of this hypothesis have been supported by prior experiments, and correlations have been found [corrected] between complex spikes, simple-spike plasticity and behavior [corrected] during the learning process. We carried out a trial-by-trial analysis of Purkinje cell responses in awake-behaving monkeys and found evidence for a causal role for complex spikes in the induction of cerebellar plasticity during a simple motor learning task. We found that the presence of a complex spike on one learning trial was linked to a substantial depression of simple-spike responses on the subsequent trial, at a time when behavioral learning was expressed.
Medina
Javier F
JF
Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3720 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
Lisberger
Stephen G
SG
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*