title: Healthy and pathological cerebellar Spiking Neural Networks in Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex.
abstract: Since the Marr-Albus model, computational neuroscientists have been developing a variety of models of the cerebellum, with different approaches and features. In this work, we developed and tested realistic artificial Spiking Neural Networks inspired to this brain region. We tested in computational simulations of the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex protocol three different models: a network equipped with a single plasticity site, at the cortical level; a network equipped with a distributed plasticity, at both cortical and nuclear levels; a network with a pathological plasticity mechanism at the cortical level. We analyzed the learning performance of the three different models, highlighting the behavioral differences among them. We proved that the model with a distributed plasticity produces a faster and more accurate cerebellar response, especially during a second session of acquisition, compared with the single plasticity model. Furthermore, the pathological model shows an impaired learning capability in Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex acquisition, as found in neurophysiological studies. The effect of the different plasticity conditions, which change fast and slow dynamics, memory consolidation and, in general, learning capabilities of the cerebellar network, explains differences in the behavioral outcome.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antonietti
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casellato
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geminiani
authors.forename: Egidio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedrocchi
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology*