Developmental changes in eyeblink conditioning and simple spike activity in the cerebellar cortex

Daniel A Nicholson; John H Freeman Jr

doi:10.1002/dev.10149

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Developmental changes in eyeblink conditioning and simple spike activity in the cerebellar cortex

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Developmental changes in eyeblink conditioning and simple spike activity in the cerebellar cortex

Daniel A Nicholson and John H Freeman Jr

Developmental psychobiology, Vol.44(1), pp.45-57

01/2004

DOI: 10.1002/dev.10149

PMID: 14704989

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Abstract

The activity of neurons in the cerebellum exhibits learning-related changes during eyeblink conditioning in adult mammals. The induction and preservation of learning-related changes in cerebellar neuronal activity in developing rats may be affected by the level of maturity in cerebellar feedback to its brainstem afferents, including the inferior olive. Developmental changes in cerebellar plasticity were examined by recording the activity of Purkinje cells in eye regions of cerebellar cortical lobule HVI (lobulus simplex) in infant rats during eyeblink conditioning. The percentage and amplitude of eyeblink conditioned responses increased as a function of age. Analyses of Purkinje cell simple spike activity revealed developmental increases in the number of units that exhibited stimulus-evoked and learning-related changes in activity. Moreover, the magnitude of these changes exhibited a substantial age-related increase. The results support the view that the emergence of learning-specific cerebellar plasticity and the ontogeny of eyeblink conditioning are influenced by developmental changes in the synaptic interactions within brainstem-cerebellum circuits.

Synaptic Transmission - physiology

Cerebellar Cortex - growth & development

Rats, Long-Evans

Rats

Evoked Potentials - physiology

Male

Brain Stem - physiology

Conditioning, Classical - physiology

Nerve Net - physiology

Purkinje Cells - physiology

Conditioning, Eyelid - physiology

Animals

Animals, Newborn - growth & development

Neuronal Plasticity - physiology

Brain Mapping

Female

Cerebellar Cortex - physiology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Developmental changes in eyeblink conditioning and simple spike activity in the cerebellar cortex
Creators: Daniel A Nicholson - Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
John H Freeman Jr
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Developmental psychobiology, Vol.44(1), pp.45-57
Publisher: United States
DOI: 10.1002/dev.10149
PMID: 14704989
ISSN: 0012-1630
eISSN: 1098-2302
Grant note: T32 AG20506 / NIA NIH HHS NS41713 / NINDS NIH HHS NS38890 / NINDS NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 01/2004
Academic Unit: Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984065752602771

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19 Times Cited - Web of Science