Cerebellar influence on spatial cognition
The hippocampus is a key component within a distributed network of brain structures involved in memory and navigation. In contrast, the cerebellum is a structure classically associated with motor control and motor learning. There is, however, a growing consensus that cerebellar contributions to behavior are not confined to motor control and may also extend to cognitive functions, including spatial navigation. Using in vivo electrophysiological recordings during behavior in cerebellar-specific transgenic mice, we demonstrated that different forms of cerebellar plasticity exert a complementary influence on hippocampal spatial representation. Using transynaptic tracing and LFP recordings, we revealed the existence of specific cerebellar subregions that anatomically and physiologically interact with the hippocampus. Together our data revealed a crucial role of cerebellar activity on spatial cognition.
