Visuomotor Adaptation Deficits in Patients with Essential Tremor.

Essential tremor (ET) is a progressive movement disorder whose pathophysiology is not fully understood. Current evidence supports the view that the cerebellum is critically involved in the genesis of the tremor in ET. However, it is still unknown whether cerebellar dysfunction affects not only the control of current movements but also the prediction of future movements through dynamic adaptation toward a changed environment.

Coherent theta oscillations in the cerebellum and supplementary motor area mediate visuomotor adaptation.

The cerebellum and its interaction with cortical areas play a key role in our ability to flexibly adapt a motor program in response to sensory input. Current knowledge about specific neural mechanisms underlying the process of visuomotor adaptation is however lacking. Using a novel placement of EEG electrodes to record electric activity from the cerebellum, we studied local cerebellar activity, as well as its coupling with neocortical activity to obtain direct neurophysiological markers of visuomotor adaptation in humans.