Cerebro-cerebellar System Research Articles

The cerebrocerebellar system: anatomic substrates of the cerebellar contribution to cognition and emotion

The cerebrocerebellar system: anatomic substrates of the cerebellar contribution to cognition and emotion

The cerebrocerebellar system: anatomic substrates of the cerebellar contribution to cognition and emotion

The contribution of the cerebellum to the modulation of cognition and emotion is facilitated by the connections between the cerebellum and brain structures known to be associated with a wide array of non-motor behaviors. The cerebellum has interconnections with brainstem and thalamic reticular systems that subserve arousal. Autonomic activity is supported by the reciprocal interconnections with the hypothalamus. Limbic and paralimbic connections include the hypothalamus, septal region, hippocampus,and cingulate gyrus. Associative connections consist of both feedforward and feedback limbs.The basilar pons receives inputs from the prefrontal, posterior parietal, superior temporal, parahippocampal, and cingulate cortices, as well as from the sensorimotor cortices. This information is conveyed from the pons to cerebellum, before it is relayed back via thalamus to the associative and paralimbic regions of the cerebral cortex. The anatomical arrangement of segregated loops of cerebral cortical connections stands in contrast to the cerebellar cortical architecture that is essentially uniform. This has theoretical and clinical ramifications. It is the anatomical basis for the dysmetria of thought hypothesis that postulates a universal cerebellar transform, in which the cerebellum performs its unique computation in a topographically precise manner on diverse streams of information relating to almost all aspects of behavior including cognition and emotion. It provides an anatomic basis for the observations of cerebellar activation by cognitive and affective paradigms in functional neuroimaging experiments. It helps explain the clinical phenomena that characterize the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome, and it provides an anatomic basis for a causal relationship between cerebellar pathology and psychiatric and neurobehavioral conditions. Knowledge of these anatomical pathways is critical to the further development of hypotheses, experimental approaches, and clinical questions that can advance the understanding of the contribution of the cerebellum to cognition and to disorders of intellect and emotion.

A direct cerebrocerebellar projection in adult birds and rats

The rostral Wulst of birds, like the somatosensory cortex of mammals, receives somatosensory information from the thalamus and projects to the brainstem and spinal cord via a pyramidal-like tract. Using anterograde and retrograde tract-tracers, we show here, in adult zebra finches, that the rostral Wulst also projects directly to the cerebellar cortex and deep nuclei. In the cortex, the cerebrocerebellar fibers resemble neither mossy nor climbing fibers, but more closely resemble the multilayer fibers shown to originate from the hypothalamus in mammals. We also show that a sparse projection to the cerebellum from the mammalian neocortex, originally thought to be lost during early development, is present in the adult rat. Although the functional implications of these results are obscure, they suggest a revision of the concept of the “cerebrocerebellar system”, which is generally considered to involve a pontine relay.

Dysmetria of thought: Correlations and conundrums in the relationship between the cerebellum, learning, and cognitive processing

This commentary concerns the cerebellar contribution to cognition. It addresses the relevant historical background, elaborates upon the associative and paralimbic incorporation into both feedforward and feedback limbs of the cerebrocerebellar system, and relates this to the newly described cerebellar cognitive-affective syndrome. It then addresses the degree to which available anatomic data support current theories regarding nonmotor learning in the cerebellum, [HOUK et al.; THACH]

Prefrontal cortex projections to the basilar pons in rhesus monkey: implications for the cerebellar contribution to higher function

The feedforward limb of the cerebrocerebellar system is directed largely through the corticopontine pathway. We determined the extent to which higher order corticopontine projections are derived from prefrontal associative cortices by injecting anterograde tracers into multiple prefrontal regions in rhesus monkeys. Most prefrontopontine projections were derived from the dorsolateral and dorsomedial convexities, including areas 8A, 46 dorsal, 9, and 10; and lighter projections arose from medial and ventrolateral cortices. These findings strengthen the observation that the cerebrocerebellar system incorporates associative cerebral regions, and they enhance the notion that the cerebellum participates in the organization of cognitive function.

The human cerebro-cerebellar system: its computing, cognitive, and language skills

In this review of the human cerebro-cerebellar system, the focus is on the possible contributions of the cerebellum to cognitive and language functions. The role of the cerebellum in these human functions has tended to be obscured by the traditional preoccupation with the motor functions of the cerebellum, which have been widely observed in other vertebrates as well. In the human brain, some phylogenetically new parts evolved and enlarged in the cerebellum, concomitantly with the enlargement of association areas in the cerebral cortex. Anatomical evidence and behavioral evidence combine to suggest that this enlarged cerebellum contributes not only to motor function but also to some sensory, cognitive, linguistic, and emotional aspects of behavior. The anatomical evidence derives from the modularity of the cerebellum, whose cortical nerve cells are organized into longitudinal micro-modules, which are arrayed perpendicular to the cortical surface and parallel to each other. The number of these micro-modules increased when the cerebellum enlarged, which enlarged the computing capabilities of the network. (From principles underlying the processing of information, it is known that when modules with modest processing capabilities are assembled in large numbers in parallel, the resulting network can achieve remarkably powerful computing capabilities.) Such cerebellar computing capabilities can be utilized in the different areas of the cerebral cortex to which the cerebellum sends signals. The cerebellar output connections convey signals through the thalamus to the cerebral cortex in segregated channels of communication, which preserve the modularity of the cerebellum. Through these channels, modules in the lateral cerebellum can send signals to new cognitive and language areas of the cerebral cortex, such as Broca's area in the prefrontal cortex. The anatomy of the human cerebro-cerebellar system therefore suggests that the cerebellum can contribute to the learning not only of motor skills but also of some cognitive and language skills. Supporting this anatomical evidence is the mounting behavioral evidence, obtained both in normal brains and in clinical studies, which indicates that the lateral cerebellum is indeed involved in some cognitive and language functions.

Interactions of visual and auditory mossy fiber inputs in the paraflocculus of the rat: a gating action of multimodal inputs

We have demonstrated previously that visual and auditory inputs reach the rat paraflocculus via dorsolateral pontine gray from the secondary regions of the visual and auditory cortices. It has also been demonstrated that mossy fiber responses can be evoked to physiological acoustic stimuli in unanesthetized preparations. In this study, we investigated the interaction of auditory and visual inputs in the paraflocculus. Activity of parafloccular neurons was recorded in immobilized, locally anesthetized hooded rats. Selected images and tones were presented to animals. Orientation, position, and velocity of visual stimuli and different parameters of acoustic stimuli were controlled by a computer. Visual and auditory stimuli were also presented in combination or in different temporal sequences. We discovered that visual and auditory stimuli have coextensive termination zones in paraflocculus, and influence the same neurons in 60% of the cases. Combined auditory and visual stimuli produced synergistic responses in parafloccular neurons in comparison with single modality stimuli. Augmentation of responses could be observed even when one of the stimuli was subthreshold and did not alter per se the neuronal activity. Our findings suggest that within the cerebro-cerebellar system, subthreshold inputs are capable of powerful control over the neuronal activity and may alter responses to subsequent stimuli when properly biased by inputs from paired modalities.

Corticofugal influences on pontine unit activity

Unit responses of the nuclei pontis (NP) and reticular pontine nuclei (RPN) to stimulation of the frontobasal cortex (proreal, orbital, and basal temporal regions) and of the dorsal hippocampus were studied in cats. Stimulation of the various cortical structures was found to induce phasic and (less frequently) tonic responses in neurons of NP and RPN. The main type of unit response in RPN was primary excitation, whereas in NP it was primary inhibition. The largest number of responding neurons in the pontine nuclei was observed to stimulation of the proreal gyrus. In the cerebro-cerebellar relay system neurons of the reticular tegmental nucleus and ventromedial portion of NP showed the highest ability to respond. In the oral and caudal reticular pontine nuclei the regions of predominant influence of cortical structures were located in zones of these nuclei where neurons with rostral and (to a lesser degree) caudal projections were situated.

CEREBELLAR ACTION POTENTIALS IN RESPONSE TO STIMULATION OF THE CEREBRAL CORTEX IN MONKEYS AND CATS

ArticlesCEREBELLAR ACTION POTENTIALS IN RESPONSE TO STIMULATION OF THE CEREBRAL CORTEX IN MONKEYS AND CATSRobert S. DowRobert S. DowPublished Online:01 Mar 1942https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1942.5.2.121MoreSectionsPDF (3 MB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat Previous Back to Top Next Download PDF FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Cited ByCerebro-cerebellar Connections5 December 2021Cerebro-Cerebellar Connections1 March 2019Cerebro-Cerebellar Connections23 May 2019A Hypothetical Universal Model of Cerebellar Function: Reconsideration of the Current Dogma13 April 2013 | The Cerebellum, Vol. 12, No. 5Cerebro-Cerebellar ConnectionsFrontal Lobe and Posterior Parietal Contributions to the Cortico-cerebellar System14 June 2011 | The Cerebellum, Vol. 11, No. 2Evoked potentials elicited on the cerebellar cortex by electrical stimulation of the rat spinocerebellar tractSurgical Neurology, Vol. 72, No. 4Cerebellar Inputs to Motor Cortex28 September 2007Ultrafast Frequencies and Full-Band EEG, Ultrafast EEG Activities and Their Significance1 October 2005 | Clinical EEG and Neuroscience, Vol. 36, No. 4The underestimated cerebellum13 October 2004 | Human Brain Mapping, Vol. 2, No. 4Contribution of the cerebellum to neuropsychological functioning: Evidence from a case of cerebellar degenerative disorderNeuropsychologia, Vol. 30, No. 4Spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD): cognitive disturbancesActa Neurologica Scandinavica, Vol. 84, No. 3The human cerebro-cerebellar system: its computing, cognitive, and language skillsBehavioural Brain Research, Vol. 44, No. 2A Relationship between Metabolism in Frontal Lobes and Cerebellum in Normal Subjects Studied with PET29 June 2016 | Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, Vol. 8, No. 6Organization of corticopontocerebellar connections to the paramedian lobule in the catAnatomy and Embryology, Vol. 172, No. 2Anatomical evidence for segregated focal groupings of efferent cells and their terminal ramifications in the cerebellothalamic pathway of the monkeyBrain Research Reviews, Vol. 5, No. 3Responses of cerebellar neurons of the CF-FM bat,Pteronotus parnellii to acoustic stimuliBrain Research, Vol. 252, No. 1The Cerebropontocerebellar Pathway: Salient Features of Its OrganizationThe Ego and the Vestibulocerebellar System: Some Theoretical Perspectives28 November 2017 | The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, Vol. 51, No. 1Cerebellar Afferent Systems1 January 2011The pontocerebellar system in the rat: An HRP study. I. Posterior vermisThe Journal of Comparative Neurology, Vol. 197, No. 4The pontocerebellar system in the rat: An HRP study. II. Hemispheral componentsThe Journal of Comparative Neurology, Vol. 197, No. 4The pontocerebellar projection in the rhesus monkey: An experimental study with retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidaseNeuroscience, Vol. 4, No. 2Neonatal Brain Mechanisms and the Development of Motor BehaviorReexamination of cerebellar responses to stimulation of sensorimotor areas of the cerebral cortexBrain Research, Vol. 118, No. 2Cerebral and peripheral inputs to interpositus neurons in monkeyBrain Research, Vol. 105, No. 2Voluntary finger movement in man: Cerebral potentials and theoryBiological Cybernetics, Vol. 23, No. 2Electrophysiological investigations on the projections from the cerebral cortex to the vermal posterior lobe of the cerebellumPfl�gers Archiv European Journal of Physiology, Vol. 363, No. 2Responses of pontocerebellar neurones to stimulation of the parietal association and the frontal motor corticesBrain Research, Vol. 93, No. 3Cerebellar afferent systems: A reviewProgress in Neurobiology, Vol. 2The corticopontine projection in the cat. I. The projection from the proreate gyrusThe Journal of Comparative Neurology, Vol. 142, No. 2Electrophysiological studies of the pontine nucleiBrain Research, Vol. 20, No. 3Inhibitory control of intracerebellar nuclei by the Purkinje cell axonsExperimental Brain Research, Vol. 10, No. 1Modification of Ontogenetic Patterns in Mammalian BrainSteady potential of cerebellar cortex. Results of direct, olivo- and ponto-cerebellar activationElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 22, No. 5The interaction of various impulses in the cerebellumJournal of the Neurological Sciences, Vol. 1, No. 2Comparative Ontogensis of Structure-Function Relations in Cerebral and Cerebeller CortexThe influence of the cerebellum on experimental epilepsyElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 14, No. 3Some Aspects of Cerebellar PhysiologyJournal of Neurosurgery, Vol. 18, No. 4Nature of Electrocortical Potentials and Synaptic Organizations in Cerebral and Cerebellar CortexReferences8 July 2009 | Acta Oto-Laryngologica, Vol. 49, No. sup138Descending connections to the inferior olive. An experimental study in the catThe Journal of Comparative Neurology, Vol. 104, No. 1Relations of brain centers to normal and abnormal eye movements in the horizontal planeThe Journal of Comparative Neurology, Vol. 99, No. 3Erkrankungen des KleinhirnsTHEORY OF CEREBRAL LOCALISATIONThe Lancet, Vol. 257, No. 6661THEN AND NOWThe Lancet, Vol. 257, No. 6661The inception of conductivity in the corpus callosum and the cortico-ponto-cerebellar path- way of young rabbits with reference to myelinizationThe Journal of Comparative Neurology, Vol. 80, No. 1THE EVOLUTION AND ANATOMY OF THE CEREBELLUM21 January 2008 | Biological Reviews, Vol. 17, No. 3 More from this issue > Volume 5Issue 2March 1942Pages 121-136 https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1942.5.2.121History Published online 1 March 1942 Published in print 1 March 1942 Metrics