Learning from the past: A reverberation of past errors in the cerebellar climbing fiber signal

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2004344
• Publication Date: 2018-08-01T13:25:02Z
• Authors: Marc Junker; Dominik Endres; Zong Peng Sun; Peter W. Dicke; Martin Giese; Peter Thier
• Keywords: Climbing fiber; Motor Learning; Parallel fiber; Climbing; SIGNAL (programming language)

The cerebellum allows us to rapidly adjust motor behavior the needs of situation. It is commonly assumed that cerebellum-based learning guided by difference between desired and actual behavior, i.e., error information. Not only immediate but also future will benefit from an because it induces lasting changes parallel fiber synapses on Purkinje cells (PCs), whose output mediates behavioral adjustments. Olivary climbing fibers, likewise connecting with PCs, are thought transport information instant errors needed for synaptic modification yet not contribute memory. Here, we report work monkeys tested in a saccadic paradigm challenges this concept. We demonstrate clear complex spikes (CS) signature at time its occurrence reverberation much later, before new manifestation suitable improve it.