The role of cerebellar circuitry in movement control and real-time motor learning

The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in movement. The aim of this proposal is to determine how the cerebellum processes information about movement and measure the changes that occur in the cerebellum during learning.

We will record electrical activity from the brain while animals perform whisker movements and measure how different aspects of movement are represented by neurons in the cerebellum. To get a complete picture, we will also measure the signals coming in and going out of the cerebellum. Finally we will observe how these signals change during learning. We will turn specific neurons on and off during movement and see how this changes the activity patterns in the cerebellum.

Our studies will help us understand the precise function of different parts of the cerebellum during learning and behaviour.