Asymmetries in Cerebellar Plasticity and Motor Learning

Tbx1 haploinsufficiency leads to local skull deformity, paraflocculus and flocculus dysplasia, and motor-learning deficit in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Neurodevelopmental disorders are thought to arise from intrinsic brain abnormalities. Alternatively, they may arise from disrupted crosstalk among tissues. Here we show the local reduction of two vestibulo-cerebellar lobules, the paraflocculus and flocculus, in mouse models and humans with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). In mice, this paraflocculus/flocculus dysplasia is associated with haploinsufficiency of the Tbx1 gene. Tbx1 haploinsufficiency also leads to impaired cerebellar synaptic plasticity and motor learning. However, neural cell compositions and neurogenesis are not altered in the dysplastic paraflocculus/flocculus. Interestingly, 22q11DS and Tbx1+/- mice have malformations of the subarcuate fossa, a part of the petrous temporal bone, which encapsulates the paraflocculus/flocculus. Single-nuclei RNA sequencing reveals that Tbx1 haploinsufficiency leads to precocious differentiation of chondrocytes to osteoblasts in the petrous temporal bone autonomous to paraflocculus/flocculus cell populations. These findings suggest a previously unrecognized pathogenic structure/function relation in 22q11DS in which local skeletal deformity and cerebellar dysplasia result in behavioral deficiencies.

Changes in the Cyto- and Fibroarchitectonics of the Cerebellar Cortex in Rats Subjected to Extreme Physical Activity

Physical overexertion surpassing the functional capacity of the nervous system causes the hyperactivation of the neural structures of the cerebellum. In turn, it causes the depletion of intracellular resources and progressive structural changes in cerebellar cells and fibers. These degenerative changes may lead to cerebellar dysfunction, including the worsening of coordination, balance, and motor functions. In order to maintain the health and functioning of the cerebellum and the nervous system in general, one needs to avoid physical overexertion and have enough time to recover. Three major types of Purkinje cells were identified in control group animals. After the forced swimming test, animals had significant morphological changes in pyriform cells, granule cells, internuncial neurons, and neuroglial cells. In particular, the extreme degeneration of granule cells was manifested via their fusion into conglomerates. These changes demonstrate that neurodegeneration in the cerebellum takes place in response to physical overexertion.

Effect of a differential training paradigm with varying frequencies and amplitudes on adaptation of vestibulo-ocular reflex in mice

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) functions to maintain eye stability during head movement, and VOR gain can be dynamically increased or decreased by gain-up or gain-down adaptation. In this study, we investigated the impact of a differential training paradigm with varying frequencies and amplitudes on the level of VOR adaptation in mice. Training for gain-up (out of phase) or gain-down (in phase) VOR adaptation was applied for 60 min using two protocols: (1) oscillation of a drum and turntable with fixed frequency and differing amplitudes (0.5 Hz/2.5°, 0.5 Hz/5° and 0.5 Hz/10°). (2) Oscillation of a drum and turntable with fixed amplitude and a differing frequency (0.25 Hz/5°, 0.5 Hz/5° and 1 Hz/5°). VOR adaptation occurred distinctively in gain-up and gain-down learning. In gain-up VOR adaptation, the learned increase in VOR gain was greatest when trained with the same frequency and amplitude as the test stimulation, and VOR gain decreased after gain-up training with too high a frequency or amplitude. In gain-down VOR adaptation, the decrease in VOR gain increased as the training frequency or amplitude increased. These results suggest that different mechanisms are, at least in part, involved in gain-up and gain-down VOR adaptation.

Expression of a Form of Cerebellar Motor Memory Requires Learned Alterations to the Activity of Inhibitory Molecular Layer Interneurons

Procedural memories formed in the cerebellum in response to motor errors depend on changes to Purkinje cell (PC) spiking patterns that correct movement when the erroneous context is repeated. Because molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) inhibit PCs, learning-induced changes to MLI output may participate in reshaping PC spiking patterns. However, it remains unclear whether error-driven learning alters MLI activity and whether such changes are necessary for the memory engram. We addressed this knowledge gap by measuring and manipulating MLI activity in the flocculus of both sexes of mice before and after vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) adaptation. We found that MLIs are activated during vestibular stimuli and that their population response exhibits a phase shift after the instantiation of gain-increase VOR adaptation, a type of error-driven learning thought to require climbing-fiber-mediated instructive signaling. Although acute optogenetic suppression of MLI activity did not affect baseline VOR performance, it negated the expression of gain-increase learning, demonstrating a specific role of MLI activity changes in motor memory expression. This effect was transitory; after a multiday consolidation period, the expression of VOR gain-increase learning was no longer sensitive to MLI activity suppression. Together, our results indicate that error-driven alteration of MLI activity is necessary for labile, climbing-fiber-induced motor memory expression.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the cerebellum, motor learning induces an associative memory of the sensorimotor context of an erroneous movement that, when recalled, results in a new pattern of output that improves subsequent trials of performance. Our study shows that error-driven motor learning induces changes to the activity pattern of cerebellar molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) and that this new pattern of activity is required to express the corrective motor memory.

Synergistic excitability plasticity in cerebellar functioning

The cerebellum, a universal processor for sensory acquisition and internal models, and its association with synaptic and nonsynaptic plasticity have been envisioned as the biological correlates of learning, perception, and even thought. Indeed, the cerebellum is no longer considered merely as the locus of motor coordination and its learning. Here, we introduce the mechanisms underlying the induction of multiple types of plasticity in cerebellar circuit and give an overview focusing on the plasticity of nonsynaptic intrinsic excitability. The discovery of long-term potentiation of synaptic responsiveness in hippocampal neurons led investigations into changes of their intrinsic excitability. This activity-dependent potentiation of neuronal excitability is distinct from that of synaptic efficacy. Systematic examination of excitability plasticity has indicated that the modulation of various types of Ca²⁺ - and voltage-dependent K⁺ channels underlies the phenomenon, which is also triggered by immune activity. Intrinsic plasticity is expressed specifically on dendrites and modifies the integrative processing and filtering effect. In Purkinje cells, modulation of the discordance of synaptic current on soma and dendrite suggested a novel type of cellular learning mechanism. This property enables a plausible synergy between synaptic efficacy and intrinsic excitability, by amplifying electrical conductivity and influencing the polarity of bidirectional synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, the induction of intrinsic plasticity in the cerebellum correlates with motor performance and cognitive processes, through functional connections from the cerebellar nuclei to neocortex and associated regions: for example, thalamus and midbrain. Taken together, recent advances in neuroscience have begun to shed light on the complex functioning of nonsynaptic excitability and the synergy.

Repeated Spiral Drawings in Essential Tremor: a Possible Limb-Based Measure of Motor Learning

To investigate changes in tremor severity over repeated spiral drawings to assess whether learning deficits can be evaluated directly in a limb in essential tremor (ET). A motor learning deficit in ET, possibly mediated by cerebellar pathways, has been established in eye-blink conditioning studies, but not paradigms measuring from an affected, tremulous limb. Computerized spiral analysis captures multiple characteristics of Archimedean spirals and quantifies performance through calculated indices. Sequential spiral drawing has recently been suggested to demonstrate improvement across trials among ET subjects. One hundred and sixty-one ET and 80 age-matched control subjects drew 10 consecutive spirals on a digitizing tablet. Degree of severity (DoS), a weighted, computational score of spiral execution that takes into account spiral shape and line smoothness, previously validated against a clinical rating scale, was calculated in both groups. Tremor amplitude (Ampl), an independent index of tremor size, measured in centimeters, was also calculated. Changes in DoS and Ampl across trials were assessed using linear regression with slope evaluations. Both groups demonstrated improvement in DoS across trials, but with less improvement in the ET group compared to controls. Ampl demonstrated a tendency to worsen across trials in ET subjects. ET subjects demonstrated less improvement than controls when drawing sequential spirals, suggesting a possible motor learning deficit in ET, here captured in an affected limb. DoS improved independently of Ampl, showing that DoS and Ampl are separable motor physiologic components in ET that may be independently mediated.

New advances regarding adaptation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex

This is a review summarizing the development of vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) adaptation behavior with relevance to rehabilitation over the last 10 years and examines VOR adaptation using head-on-body rotations, specifically the influence of training target contrast, position and velocity error signal, active vs. passive head rotations, and sinusoidal vs. head impulse rotations. This review discusses optimization of the single VOR adaptation training session, consolidation between repeated training sessions, and dynamic incremental VOR adaptation. Also considered are the effects of aging and the roles of the efferent vestibular system, cerebellum, and otoliths on angular VOR adaptation. Finally, this review examines VOR adaptation findings in studies using whole body rotations.

Plasticity leading to cerebellum-dependent learning: two different regions, two different types

In memory research, studying cerebellum-dependent memory is advantageous due to its relatively simple neural architecture compared with that of other memory circuits. To understand how cerebellum-dependent memory develops and is stored in this circuit, numerous hypotheses have been proposed. These hypotheses are generally able to adequately explain most learning and memory processes; however, several reported results are still poorly understood. Recently, the importance of intrinsic plasticity (i.e., plasticity of intrinsic excitability) has been highlighted in several studies. Because the classical view of cerebellum-dependent eye movement learning was focused on synaptic plasticity, it is valuable to consider the intrinsic plasticity for deeper understanding. In the present review, we re-examine the utility and limitations of previous hypotheses, from classic to recent, and propose an updated hypothesis. Integrating intrinsic plasticity into current models of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) circuit may facilitate deeper understanding of the VOR adaptation process. In particular, during the period of memory transfer, dynamic changes in excitability in both cerebellar Purkinje cells and vestibular nuclear neurons illuminate the role of intrinsic plasticity in the circuit.

Impact of parallel fiber to Purkinje cell long-term depression is unmasked in absence of inhibitory input

Pavlovian eyeblink conditioning has been used extensively to study the neural mechanisms underlying associative and motor learning. During this simple learning task, memory formation takes place at Purkinje cells in defined areas of the cerebellar cortex, which acquire a strong temporary suppression of their activity during conditioning. Yet, it is unknown which neuronal plasticity mechanisms mediate this suppression. Two potential mechanisms include long-term depression of parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synapses and feed-forward inhibition by molecular layer interneurons. We show, using a triple transgenic approach, that only concurrent disruption of both these suppression mechanisms can severely impair conditioning, highlighting that both processes can compensate for each other's deficits.

Different types of multiple-synapse boutons in the cerebellar cortex between physically enriched and ataxic mutant mice

Experience-dependent synapse remodeling is associated with information storage in the nervous system. Neuronal synapses show alteration in various neurological and cognitive disorders in their structure and function. At the ultrastructural level, parallel fiber boutons contacting multiple spines of Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex are commonly observed in physiologically enriched animals as well as pathological ataxic mutants. However, the dendritic origin of those spines on parallel fiber multiple-synapse boutons (MSBs) has been poorly understood. Here, we investigated this issue by 3-dimensional ultrastructural analysis to determine synaptic connectivity of MSBs in both mice housed in physically enriched environment and cerebellar ataxic mutants. Our results demonstrated that environmental enrichment selectively induced MSBs to contact spines from the same parent dendrite, indicating focal strengthening of synapse through the simultaneous activation of two adjacent spines. In contrast, ataxic mutants displaying impaired motor coordination had significantly more MSBs involving spines originating from different neighboring dendrites compared to both wild-type and environmentally enriched animals, suggesting that compromising multiple synapse formation may lead to abnormal motor behavior in the mutant mice. These findings propose that environmental stimulation in normal animals mainly involves the refinement of preexisting synaptic networks, whereas pathological ataxic conditions may results from less-selective but compromising multiple synaptic formation. This study underscores that different types of multiple synapse boutons may have disparate effects on cerebellar synaptic transmission.

Computational Theory Underlying Acute Vestibulo-ocular Reflex Motor Learning with Cerebellar Long-Term Depression and Long-Term Potentiation

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) can be viewed as an adaptive control system that maintains compensatory eye movements during head motion. As the cerebellar flocculus is intimately involved in this adaptive motor control of the VOR, the VOR has been a popular model system for investigating cerebellar motor learning. Long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP) at the parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses are considered to play major roles in cerebellar motor learning. A recent study using mutant mice demonstrated cerebellar motor learning with hampered LTD; the study concluded that the parallel fiber-Purkinje cell LTD is not essential. More recently, multiple forms of plasticity have been found in the cerebellum, and they are believed to contribute to cerebellar motor learning. However, it is still unclear how synaptic plasticity modifies the signal processing that underlies motor learning in the flocculus. A computational simulation suggested that the plasticity present in mossy fiber-granule cell synapses improves VOR-related sensory-motor information transferred into granule cells, whereas the plasticity in the molecular layer stores this information as a memory under guidance from climbing fiber teaching signals. Thus, motor learning and memory are thought to be induced mainly by LTD and LTP at parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses and by rebound potentiation at molecular interneuron-Purkinje cell synapses among the multiple forms of plasticity in the cerebellum. In this study, we focused on the LTD and LTP at parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses. Based on our simulation, we propose that acute VOR motor learning accomplishes by simultaneous enhancement of eye movement signals via LTP and suppression of vestibular signals via LTD to increase VOR gain (gain-up learning). To decrease VOR gain (gain-down learning), these two signals are modified in the opposite directions; namely, LTD suppresses eye movement signals, whereas LTP enhances vestibular signals.

Modulation of Complex-Spike Duration and Probability during Cerebellar Motor Learning in Visually Guided Smooth-Pursuit Eye Movements of Monkeys

Activation of an inferior olivary neuron powerfully excites Purkinje cells via its climbing fiber input and triggers a characteristic high-frequency burst, known as the complex spike (CS). The theory of cerebellar learning postulates that the CS induces long-lasting depression of the strength of synapses from active parallel fibers onto Purkinje cells, and that synaptic depression leads to changes in behavior. Prior reports showed that a CS on one learning trial is linked to a properly timed depression of simple spikes on the subsequent trial, as well as a learned change in pursuit eye movement. Further, the duration of a CS is a graded instruction for single-trial plasticity and behavioral learning. We now show across multiple learning paradigms that both the probability and duration of CS responses are correlated with the magnitudes of neural and behavioral learning in awake behaving monkeys. When the direction of the instruction for learning repeatedly was in the same direction or alternated directions, the duration and probability of CS responses decreased over a learning block along with the magnitude of trial-over-trial neural learning. When the direction of the instruction was randomized, CS duration, CS probability, and neural and behavioral learning remained stable across time. In contrast to depression, potentiation of simple-spike firing rate for ON-direction learning instructions follows a longer time course and plays a larger role as depression wanes. Computational analysis provides a model that accounts fully for the detailed statistics of a complex set of data.

Mechanisms underlying vestibulo-cerebellar motor learning in mice depend on movement direction

KEY POINTS

Directionality, inherent to movements, has behavioural and neuronal correlates. Direction of vestibular stimulation determines motor learning efficiency. Vestibulo-ocular reflex gain-increase correlates with Purkinje cell simple spike potentiation. The locus of neural correlates for vestibulo-ocular reflex adaptation is paradigm specific.

ABSTRACT

Compensatory eye movements elicited by head rotation, also known as vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), can be adapted with the use of visual feedback. The cerebellum is essential for this type of movement adaptation, although its neuronal correlates remain to be clarified. In the present study, we show that the direction of vestibular input determines the magnitude of eye movement adaptation induced by mismatched visual input in mice, with larger changes during contraversive head rotation. Moreover, the location of the neural correlate of this changed behaviour depends on the type of paradigm. Gain-increase paradigms induce increased simple spike (SS) activity in ipsilateral cerebellar Purkinje cells (PC), which is in line with eye movements triggered by optogenetic PC activation. By contrast, gain-decrease paradigms do not induce changes in SS activity, indicating that the murine vestibulo-cerebellar cortical circuitry is optimally designed to enhance ipsiversive eye movements.

Synaptic plasticity in dendrites: complications and coping strategies

The elaborate morphology, nonlinear membrane mechanisms and spatiotemporally varying synaptic activation patterns of dendrites complicate the expression, compartmentalization and modulation of synaptic plasticity. To grapple with this complexity, we start with the observation that neurons in different brain areas face markedly different learning problems, and dendrites of different neuron types contribute to the cell's input-output function in markedly different ways. By committing to specific assumptions regarding a neuron's learning problem and its input-output function, specific inferences can be drawn regarding the synaptic plasticity mechanisms and outcomes that we 'ought' to expect for that neuron. Exploiting this assumption-driven approach can help both in interpreting existing experimental data and designing future experiments aimed at understanding the brain's myriad learning processes.