title: A cerebellar role in performance monitoring - evidence from EEG and voxel-based morphometry in patients with cerebellar degenerative disease.
abstract: The cerebellum applies an internal forward-model to predict the sensory consequences of actions. This forward-model is updated based on on-line performance monitoring. A previous study has shown that performance monitoring is altered in patients with focal vascular cerebellar lesions, but altered neural responses are not paralleled by impaired behaviour, and the critical cerebellar sites have yet to be identified. The present study investigated if saccadic performance monitoring is more severely altered in patients with cerebellar degenerative disease relative to the previously examined patients with focal vascular cerebellar lesions, and which cerebellar regions support performance monitoring. 16 patients and 16 healthy controls performed an antisaccade task while an electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded. Error rates were increased, and the error-related negativity (ERN), an event-related potential (ERP) component associated with error processing/performance monitoring, was reduced while the error positivity (Pe), a later ERP component related to more conscious aspects of error processing, was preserved in patients. Thus, performance monitoring is altered in patients with cerebellar degeneration, confirming a critical role of the cerebellum for fast classification of saccadic accuracy. In contrast to patients with focal lesions, post-acute functional reorganization and compensation presumably is hampered by disease progression, resulting in altered neural processing and impaired behavioural performance. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) indicated the strongest effects for behavioural performance, with correlations between gray matter volume reduction in bilateral posterolateral regions (left Crus II and right lobule VI) and increased error rates. Moreover, somewhat smaller correlations were found for volume loss in left lobule VIIb/VIIIa and right lobule V and ERN amplitude, and in right Crus I and Pe amplitude. The present findings are consistent with involvement of posterolateral cerebellar regions in motor and cognitive functions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149 Münster, Germany. Electronic address: jutta.peterburs@uni-muenster.de.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peterburs
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Clinic Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147 Essen, Germany; Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Kokereiallee 7, 45141 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thürling
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuropsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rustemeier
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Clinic Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Göricke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuropsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Suchan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Clinic Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Timmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Psychology, Biological Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellebaum
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Ataxia; Cerebellar degenerative disease; Cerebellum; EEG; Performance monitoring