Feedback control of Purkinje cell activity by the cerebello-olivary pathway.
Author
Summary, in English
The pathway from the deep cerebellar nuclei to the inferior olive, the source of the climbing fibre input to the cerebellum, inhibits olivary transmission. As climbing fibre activity can depress the background firing of the Purkinje cells, it was suggested that nucleo-olivary (N–O) inhibition is a negative feedback mechanism for regulating Purkinje cell excitability. This suggestion was investigated, in a set-up with decerebrate ferrets, both by blocking and by stimulating cerebellar output while recording Purkinje cell activity. Blocking the N–O pathway was followed by an increased climbing fibre activity and a dramatic reduction in simple spike firing. Stimulation of the N–O fibres depressed climbing fibre responses and caused an increase in simple spike firing. These results are taken as support for the feedback hypothesis.
Department/s
Publishing year
2004
Language
English
Pages
2999-3005
Publication/Series
European Journal of Neuroscience
Volume
20
Issue
11
Full text
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Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Topic
- Neurosciences
Keywords
- climbing fibres
- cerebellum
- deep cerebellar nuclei
- inferior olive
- nucleo-olivary pathway
Status
Published
Research group
- Neurophysiology
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1460-9568