Prolonging the postcomplex spike pause speeds eyeblink conditioning.

Climbing fiber input to the cerebellum is believed to serve as a teaching signal during associative, cerebellum-dependent forms of motor learning. However, it is not understood how this neural pathway coordinates changes in cerebellar circuitry during learning. Here, we use pharmacological manipulations to prolong the postcomplex spike pause, a component of the climbing fiber signal in Purkinje neurons, and show that these manipulations enhance the rate of learning in classical eyelid conditioning.

Reduced dysbindin expression mediates N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction and impaired working memory performance.

Background: Schizophrenia is a heritable disorder associated with disrupted neural transmission and dysfunction of brain systems involved in higher cognition. The gene encoding dystrobrevin-binding-protein-1 (dysbindin) is a putative candidate gene associated with cognitive impairments, including memory deficits, in both schizophrenia patients and unaffected individuals. The underlying mechanism is thought to be based in changes in glutamatergic and dopaminergic function within the corticostriatal networks known to be critical for schizophrenia.

Extinction of a classically conditioned response: red nucleus and interpositus.

It is well established that the cerebellum and its associated circuitry are essential for classical conditioning of the eyeblink response and other discrete motor responses (e.g., limb flexion, head turn, etc.

Effects of a corneal anesthetic on extinction of the classically conditioned nictitating membrane response in the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were presented with 7 daily sessions of tone-alone training after conditioning. Before the beginning of each of the first 4 extinction sessions, an artificial tear solution or tetracaine hydrochloride was administered to the cornea of rabbits in the control group (n = 6) and experimental group (n = 7), respectively. There were no between-group differences in the percentage of conditioned responses between both groups.

Brain mechanisms of extinction of the classically conditioned eyeblink response.

It is well established that the cerebellum and its associated circuitry are essential for classical conditioning of the eyeblink response and other discrete motor responses (e.g., limb flexion, head turn, etc.