Structured Variability in Purkinje Cell Activity during Locomotion

Cerebellar Purkinje cells in male macaques combine sensory and motor information to predict the sensory consequences of active self-motion

Accurate perception and behavior rely on distinguishing sensory signals arising from unexpected events from those originating from our own voluntary actions. In the vestibular system, sensory input that is the consequence of active self-motion is canceled early at the first central stage of processing to ensure postural and perceptual stability. However, the source of the required cancellation signal was unknown. Here, we show that the cerebellum combines sensory and motor-related information to predict the sensory consequences of active self-motion. Recordings during attempted but unrealized head movements in two male rhesus monkeys, revealed that the motor-related signals encoded by anterior vermis Purkinje cells explain their altered sensitivity to active versus passive self-motion. Further, a model combining responses from ~40 Purkinje cells accounted for the cancellation observed in early vestibular pathways. These findings establish how cerebellar Purkinje cells predict sensory outcomes of self-movements, resolving a long-standing issue of sensory signal suppression during self-motion.

Modulation of neural spiking in motor cortex-cerebellar networks during sleep spindles

Sleep spindles appear to play an important role in learning new motor skills. Motor skill learning engages several regions in the brain with two important areas being the motor cortex (M1) and the cerebellum. However, the neurophysiological processes in these areas during sleep, especially how spindle oscillations affect local and cross-region spiking, are not fully understood. We recorded activity from the M1 and cerebellar cortex in 8 rats during spontaneous activity to investigate how sleep spindles in these regions are related to local spiking as well as cross-region spiking. We found that M1 firing was significantly changed during both M1 and cerebellum spindles and this spiking occurred at a preferred phase of the spindle. On average, M1 and cerebellum neurons showed most spiking at the M1 or cerebellum spindle peaks. These neurons also developed a preferential phase-locking to local or cross-area spindles with the greatest phase-locking value at spindle peaks; however, this preferential phase-locking wasn't significant for cerebellar neurons when compared to cerebellum spindles. Additionally, we found the percentage of task-modulated cells in the M1 and cerebellum that fired with non-uniform spike-phase distribution during M1/ cerebellum spindle peaks were greater in the rats that learned a reach-to-grasp motor task robustly. Finally, we found that spindle-band LFP coherence (for M1 and cerebellum LFPs) showed a positive correlation with success rate in the motor task. These findings support the idea that sleep spindles in both the M1 and cerebellum recruit neurons that participate in the awake task to support motor memory consolidation.Significance Statement Neural processing during sleep spindles is linked to memory consolidation. However, little is known about sleep activity in the cerebellum and whether cerebellum spindles can affect spiking activity in local or distant areas. We report the effect of sleep spindles on neuron activity in the M1 and cerebellum-specifically their firing rate and phase-locking to spindle oscillations. Our results indicate that awake practice neuronal activity is tempered during local M1 and cerebellum spindles, and during cross-region spindles, which may support motor skill learning. We describe spiking dynamics in motor networks spindle oscillations that may aid in the learning of skills. Our results support the sleep reactivation hypothesis and suggest that awake M1 activity may be reactivated during cerebellum spindles.

Sensorimotor content of multi-unit activity recorded in the paramedian lobule of the cerebellum using carbon fiber microelectrode arrays

The cerebellum takes in a great deal of sensory information from the periphery and descending signals from the cerebral cortices. It has been debated whether the paramedian lobule (PML) in the rat and its paravermal regions that project to the interpositus nucleus (IPN) are primarily involved in motor execution or motor planning. Studies that have relied on single spike recordings in behaving animals have led to conflicting conclusions regarding this issue. In this study, we tried a different approach and investigated the correlation of field potentials and multi-unit signals recorded with multi-electrode arrays from the PML cortex along with the forelimb electromyography (EMG) signals in rats during behavior. Linear regression was performed to predict the EMG signal envelopes using the PML activity for various time shifts (±25, ±50, ±100, and ± 400 ms) between the two signals to determine a causal relation. The highest correlations (~0.5 on average) between the neural and EMG envelopes were observed for zero and small (±25 ms) time shifts and decreased with larger time shifts in both directions, suggesting that paravermal PML is involved both in processing of sensory signals and motor execution in the context of forelimb reaching behavior. EMG envelopes were predicted with higher success rates when neural signals from multiple phases of the behavior were utilized for regression. The forelimb extension phase was the most difficult to predict while the releasing of the bar phase prediction was the most successful. The high frequency (>300 Hz) components of the neural signal, reflecting multi-unit activity, had a higher contribution to the EMG prediction than did the lower frequency components, corresponding to local field potentials. The results of this study suggest that the paravermal PML in the rat cerebellum is primarily involved in the execution of forelimb movements rather than the planning aspect and that the PML is more active at the initiation and termination of the behavior, rather than the progression.

Whisker kinematics in the cerebellum

The whisker system is widely used as a model system for understanding sensorimotor integration. Purkinje cells in the crus regions of the cerebellum have been reported to linearly encode whisker midpoint, but it is unknown whether the paramedian and simplex lobules as well as their target neurons in the cerebellar nuclei also encode whisker kinematics and if so which ones. Elucidating how these kinematics are represented throughout the cerebellar hemisphere is essential for understanding how the cerebellum coordinates multiple sensorimotor modalities. Exploring the cerebellar hemisphere of mice using optogenetic stimulation, we found that whisker movements can be elicited by stimulation of Purkinje cells in not only crus1 and crus2, but also in the paramedian lobule and lobule simplex; activation of cells in the medial paramedian lobule had on average the shortest latency, whereas that of cells in lobule simplex elicited similar kinematics as those in crus1 and crus2. During spontaneous whisking behaviour, simple spike activity correlated in general better with velocity than position of the whiskers, but it varied between protraction and retraction as well as per lobule. The cerebellar nuclei neurons targeted by the Purkinje cells showed similar activity patterns characterized by a wide variety of kinematic signals, yet with a dominance for velocity. Taken together, our data indicate that whisker movements are much more prominently and diversely represented in the cerebellar cortex and nuclei than assumed, highlighting the rich repertoire of cerebellar control in the kinematics of movements that can be engaged during coordination. KEY POINTS: Excitation of Purkinje cells throughout the cerebellar hemispheres induces whisker movement, with the shortest latency and longest duration within the paramedian lobe. Purkinje cells have differential encoding for the fast and slow components of whisking. Purkinje cells encode not only the position but also the velocity of whiskers. Purkinje cells with high sensitivity for whisker velocity are preferentially located in the medial part of lobule simplex, crus1 and lateral paramedian. In the downstream cerebellar nuclei, neurons with high sensitivity for whisker velocity are located at the intersection between the medial and interposed nucleus.

A dual Purkinje cell rate and synchrony code sculpts reach kinematics

Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) encode movement kinematics in their population firing rates. Firing rate suppression is hypothesized to disinhibit neurons in the cerebellar nuclei, promoting adaptive movement adjustments. Debates persist, however, about whether a second disinhibitory mechanism, PC simple spike synchrony, is a relevant population code. We addressed this question by relating PC rate and synchrony patterns recorded with high density probes, to mouse reach kinematics. We discovered behavioral correlates of PC synchrony that align with a known causal relationship between activity in cerebellar output. Reach deceleration was positively correlated with both Purkinje firing rate decreases and synchrony, consistent with both mechanisms disinhibiting target neurons, which are known to adjust reach velocity. Direct tests of the contribution of each coding scheme to nuclear firing using dynamic clamp, combining physiological rate and synchrony patterns ex vivo, confirmed that physiological levels of PC simple spike synchrony are highly facilitatory for nuclear firing. These findings suggest that PC firing rate and synchrony collaborate to exert fine control of movement.

Striatal cholinergic interneuron membrane voltage tracks locomotor rhythms in mice

Rhythmic neural network activity has been broadly linked to behavior. However, it is unclear how membrane potentials of individual neurons track behavioral rhythms, even though many neurons exhibit pace-making properties in isolated brain circuits. To examine whether single-cell voltage rhythmicity is coupled to behavioral rhythms, we focused on delta-frequencies (1-4 Hz) that are known to occur at both the neural network and behavioral levels. We performed membrane voltage imaging of individual striatal neurons simultaneously with network-level local field potential recordings in mice during voluntary movement. We report sustained delta oscillations in the membrane potentials of many striatal neurons, particularly cholinergic interneurons, which organize spikes and network oscillations at beta-frequencies (20-40 Hz) associated with locomotion. Furthermore, the delta-frequency patterned cellular dynamics are coupled to animals' stepping cycles. Thus, delta-rhythmic cellular dynamics in cholinergic interneurons, known for their autonomous pace-making capabilities, play an important role in regulating network rhythmicity and movement patterning.

Delay eyeblink conditioning performance and brain-wide c-Fos expression in male and female mice

Delay eyeblink conditioning has been extensively used to study associative learning and the cerebellar circuits underlying this task have been largely identified. However, there is a little knowledge on how factors such as strain, sex and innate behaviour influence performance during this type of learning. In this study, we used male and female mice of C57BL/6J (B6) and B6CBAF1 strains to investigate the effect of sex, strain and locomotion in delay eyeblink conditioning. We performed a short and a long delay eyeblink conditioning paradigm and used a c-Fos immunostaining approach to explore the involvement of different brain areas in this task. We found that both B6 and B6CBAF1 females reach higher learning scores compared to males in the initial stages of learning. This sex-dependent difference was no longer present as the learning progressed. Moreover, we found a strong positive correlation between learning scores and voluntary locomotion irrespective of the training duration. c-Fos immunostainings after the short paradigm showed positive correlations between c-Fos expression and learning scores in the cerebellar cortex and brainstem, as well as previously unreported areas. By contrast, after the long paradigm, c-Fos expression was only significantly elevated in the brainstem. Taken together, we show that differences in voluntary locomotion and activity across brain areas correlate with performance in delay eyeblink conditioning across strains and sexes.

Emergent Low-Frequency Activity in Cortico-Cerebellar Networks with Motor Skill Learning

The motor cortex controls skilled arm movement by recruiting a variety of targets in the nervous system, and it is important to understand the emergent activity in these regions as refinement of a motor skill occurs. One fundamental projection of the motor cortex (M1) is to the cerebellum. However, the emergent activity in the motor cortex and the cerebellum that appears as a dexterous motor skill is consolidated is incompletely understood. Here, we report on low-frequency oscillatory (LFO) activity that emerges in cortico-cerebellar networks with learning the reach-to-grasp motor skill. We chronically recorded the motor and the cerebellar cortices in rats, which revealed the emergence of coordinated movement-related activity in the local-field potentials as the reaching skill consolidated. Interestingly, we found this emergent activity only in the rats that gained expertise in the task. We found that the local and cross-area spiking activity was coordinated with LFOs in proficient rats. Finally, we also found that these neural dynamics were more prominently expressed during accurate behavior in the M1. This work furthers our understanding on emergent dynamics in the cortico-cerebellar loop that underlie learning and execution of precise skilled movement.

Cerebellum encodes and influences the initiation, performance, and termination of discontinuous movements in mice

The cerebellum is hypothesized to represent timing information important for organizing salient motor events during periodically performed discontinuous movements. To provide functional evidence validating this idea, we measured and manipulated Purkinje cell (PC) activity in the lateral cerebellum of mice trained to volitionally perform periodic bouts of licking for regularly allocated water rewards. Overall, PC simple spiking modulated during task performance, mapping phasic tongue protrusions and retractions, as well as ramping prior to both lick-bout initiation and termination, two important motor events delimiting movement cycles. The ramping onset occurred earlier for the initiation of uncued exploratory licking that anticipated water availability relative to licking that was reactive to water allocation, suggesting that the cerebellum is engaged differently depending on the movement context. In a subpopulation of PCs, climbing-fiber-evoked responses also increased during lick-bout initiation, but not termination, highlighting differences in how cerebellar input pathways represent task-related information. Optogenetic perturbation of PC activity disrupted the behavior by degrading lick-bout rhythmicity in addition to initiating and terminating licking bouts confirming a causative role in movement organization. Together, these results substantiate that the cerebellum contributes to the initiation and timing of repeated motor actions.

Olivocerebellar control of movement symmetry

Coordination of bilateral movements is essential for a large variety of animal behaviors. The olivocerebellar system is critical for the control of movement, but its role in bilateral coordination has yet to be elucidated. Here, we examined whether Purkinje cells encode and influence synchronicity of left-right whisker movements. We found that complex spike activity is correlated with a prominent left-right symmetry of spontaneous whisker movements within parts, but not all, of Crus1 and Crus2. Optogenetic stimulation of climbing fibers in the areas with high and low correlations resulted in symmetric and asymmetric whisker movements, respectively. Moreover, when simple spike frequency prior to the complex spike was higher, the complex spike-related symmetric whisker protractions were larger. This finding alludes to a role for rebound activity in the cerebellar nuclei, which indeed turned out to be enhanced during symmetric protractions. Tracer injections suggest that regions associated with symmetric whisker movements are anatomically connected to the contralateral cerebellar hemisphere. Together, these data point toward the existence of modules on both sides of the cerebellar cortex that can differentially promote or reduce the symmetry of left and right movements in a context-dependent fashion.

The Shape of Data: a Theory of the Representation of Information in the Cerebellar Cortex

This paper presents a model of rate coding in the cerebellar cortex. The pathway of input to output of the cerebellum forms an anatomically repeating, functionally modular network, whose basic wiring is preserved across vertebrate taxa. Each network is bisected centrally by a functionally defined cell group, a microzone, which forms part of the cerebellar circuit. Input to a network may be from tens of thousands of concurrently active mossy fibres. The model claims to quantify the conversion of input rates into the code received by a microzone. Recoding on entry converts input rates into an internal code which is homogenised in the functional equivalent of an imaginary plane, occupied by the centrally positioned microzone. Homogenised means the code exists in any random sample of parallel fibre signals over a minimum number. The nature of the code and the regimented architecture of the cerebellar cortex mean that the threshold can be represented by space so that the threshold can be met by the physical dimensions of the Purkinje cell dendritic arbour and planar interneuron networks. As a result, the whole population of a microzone receives the same code. This is part of a mechanism which orchestrates functionally indivisible behaviour of the cerebellar circuit and is necessary for coordinated control of the output cells of the circuit. In this model, fine control of Purkinje cells is by input rates to the system and not by learning so that it is in conflict with the for-years-dominant supervised learning model.

Inertial Measurement of Head Tilt in Rodents: Principles and Applications to Vestibular Research

Inertial sensors are increasingly used in rodent research, in particular for estimating head orientation relative to gravity, or head tilt. Despite this growing interest, the accuracy of tilt estimates computed from rodent head inertial data has never been assessed. Using readily available inertial measurement units mounted onto the head of freely moving rats, we benchmarked a set of tilt estimation methods against concurrent 3D optical motion capture. We show that, while low-pass filtered head acceleration signals only provided reliable tilt estimates in static conditions, sensor calibration combined with an appropriate choice of orientation filter and parameters could yield average tilt estimation errors below 1.5∘ during movement. We then illustrate an application of inertial head tilt measurements in a preclinical rat model of unilateral vestibular lesion and propose a set of metrics describing the severity of associated postural and motor symptoms and the time course of recovery. We conclude that headborne inertial sensors are an attractive tool for quantitative rodent behavioral analysis in general and for the study of vestibulo-postural functions in particular.

Purkinje cells located in the adult zebrafish valvula cerebelli exhibit variable functional responses

Purkinje cells are critically involved in processing the cerebellar functions by shaping and coordinating commands that they receive. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that in the adult zebrafish valvular part of the cerebellum, the Purkinje cells exhibited variable firing and functional responses and allowed the categorization into three firing classes. Compared with the Purkinje cells in the corpus cerebelli, the valvular Purkinje cells receive weak and occasional input from the inferior olive and are not active during locomotion. Together, our findings expand further the regional functional differences of the Purkinje cell population and expose their non-locomotor functionality.

Disruption of neonatal Purkinje cell function underlies injury-related learning deficits

Injury to the cerebellum during late fetal and early postnatal life is associated with long-term motor and cognitive deficits. It is thought that injury at this stage of development results in delayed maturation of neural circuitry, causing altered behavior at later stages. This study identifies the neural basis of locomotor learning deficits in the cerebellum using a clinically relevant model of neonatal brain injury. By combining fiber-optic-enabled Purkinje cell activity measurement during locomotor behavior, we provide evidence for long-term changes in neuronal responses during learning. By artificially reducing Purkinje cell function during the neonatal stage, we observed similarly altered physiological responses as those seen in injury. Our findings indicate that injury-related inhibition of developing Purkinje cells causes long-term locomotor dysfunction.

It is hypothesized that perinatal cerebellar injury leads to long-term functional deficits due to circuit dysmaturation. Using a novel integration of GCaMP6f fiber photometry with automated measurement of cerebellar behavior using the ErasmusLadder, we causally link cerebellar injury to altered Purkinje cell responses during maladaptive behavior. Chemogenetic inhibition of neonatal Purkinje cells is sufficient to phenocopy the effects of perinatal cerebellar injury. Our results uncover a direct link between perinatal cerebellar injury and activity-dependent maturation of cerebellar cortex.

Lessons From Deep Neural Networks for Studying the Coding Principles of Biological Neural Networks

One of the central goals in systems neuroscience is to understand how information is encoded in the brain, and the standard approach is to identify the relation between a stimulus and a neural response. However, the feature of a stimulus is typically defined by the researcher's hypothesis, which may cause biases in the research conclusion. To demonstrate potential biases, we simulate four likely scenarios using deep neural networks trained on the image classification dataset CIFAR-10 and demonstrate the possibility of selecting suboptimal/irrelevant features or overestimating the network feature representation/noise correlation. Additionally, we present studies investigating neural coding principles in biological neural networks to which our points can be applied. This study aims to not only highlight the importance of careful assumptions and interpretations regarding the neural response to stimulus features but also suggest that the comparative study between deep and biological neural networks from the perspective of machine learning can be an effective strategy for understanding the coding principles of the brain.

Redundancy and multifunctionality among spinal locomotor networks

c-Fos is used to identify system-wide neural activation with cellular resolution in vivo. However, c-Fos can only capture neural activation of one event. Targeted recombination in active populations (TRAP) allows the capture of two different c-Fos activation patterns in the same animal. So far, TRAP has only been used to examine brain circuits. This study uses TRAP to investigate spinal circuit activation during resting and stepping, giving novel insights of network activation during these events. The level of colabeled (c-Fos+ and TRAP+) neurons observed after performing two bouts of stepping suggests that there is a probabilistic-like phenomenon that can recruit many combinations of neural populations (synapses) when repetitively generating many step cycles. Between two 30-min bouts of stepping, each consisting of thousands of steps, only ∼20% of the neurons activated from the first bout of stepping were also activated by the second bout. We also show colabeling of interneurons that have been active during stepping and resting. The use of the FosTRAP methodology in the spinal cord provides a new tool to compare the engagement of different populations of spinal interneurons in vivo under different motor tasks or under different conditions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The results are consistent with there being an extensive amount of redundancy among spinal locomotor circuits. Using the newly developed FosTRAP mouse model, only ∼20% of neurons that were active (labeled by Fos-linked tdTomato expression) during a first bout of 30-min stepping were also labeled for c-Fos during a second bout of stepping. This finding suggests variability of neural networks that enables selection of many combinations of neurons (synapses) when generating each step cycle.

Functionally distinct Purkinje cell types show temporal precision in encoding locomotion

Purkinje cells, the principal neurons of cerebellar computations, are believed to comprise a uniform neuronal population of cells, each with similar functional properties. Here, we show an undiscovered heterogeneity of adult zebrafish Purkinje cells, revealing the existence of anatomically and functionally distinct cell types. Dual patch-clamp recordings showed that the cerebellar circuit contains all Purkinje cell types that cross-communicate extensively using chemical and electrical synapses. Further activation of spinal central pattern generators (CPGs) revealed unique phase-locked activity from each Purkinje cell type during the locomotor cycle. Thus, we show intricately organized Purkinje cell networks in the adult zebrafish cerebellum that encode the locomotion rhythm differentially, and we suggest that these organizational properties may also apply to other cerebellar functions.

Mobility Deficits Assessed With Mobile Technology: What Can We Learn From Brain Iron-Altered Animal Models?

Background: Recent developments in mobile technology have enabled the investigation of human movements and mobility under natural conditions, i.e., in the home environment. Iron accumulation in the basal ganglia is deleterious in Parkinson's disease (i.e., iron accumulation with lower striatal level of dopamine). The effect of iron chelation (i.e., re-deployment of iron) in Parkinson's disease patients is currently tested in a large investigator-initiated multicenter study. Conversely, restless legs syndrome (RLS) is associated with iron depletion and higher striatal level of dopamine. To determine from animal models which movement and mobility parameters might be associated with iron content modulation and the potential effect of therapeutic chelation inhuman.

Methods: We recapitulated pathophysiological aspects of the association between iron, dopamine, and neuronal dysfunction and deterioration in the basal ganglia, and systematically searched PubMed to identify original articles reporting about quantitatively assessed mobility deficits in animal models of brain iron dyshomeostasis.

Results: We found six original studies using murine and fly models fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Especially postural and trunk stability were altered in animal models with iron overload. Animal models with lowered basal ganglia iron suffered from alterations in physical activity, mobility, and sleep fragmentation.

Conclusion: From preclinical investigations in the animal model, we can deduce that possibly also in humans with iron accumulation in the basal ganglia undergoing therapeutic chelation may primarily show changes in physical activity (such as daily “motor activity”), postural and trunk stability and sleep fragmentation. These changes can readily be monitored with currently available mobile technology.

Anatomical and physiological foundations of cerebello-hippocampal interaction

Multiple lines of evidence suggest that functionally intact cerebello-hippocampal interactions are required for appropriate spatial processing. However, how the cerebellum anatomically and physiologically engages with the hippocampus to sustain such communication remains unknown. Using rabies virus as a retrograde transneuronal tracer in mice, we reveal that the dorsal hippocampus receives input from topographically restricted and disparate regions of the cerebellum. By simultaneously recording local field potential from both the dorsal hippocampus and anatomically connected cerebellar regions, we additionally suggest that the two structures interact, in a behaviorally dynamic manner, through subregion-specific synchronization of neuronal oscillations in the 6-12 Hz frequency range. Together, these results reveal a novel neural network macro-architecture through which we can understand how a brain region classically associated with motor control, the cerebellum, may influence hippocampal neuronal activity and related functions, such as spatial navigation.

Cerebellar Control of Reach Kinematics for Endpoint Precision

The cerebellum is well appreciated to impart speed, smoothness, and precision to skilled movements such as reaching. How these functions are executed by the final output stage of the cerebellum, the cerebellar nuclei, remains unknown. Here, we identify a causal relationship between cerebellar output and mouse reach kinematics and show how that relationship is leveraged endogenously to enhance reach precision. Activity in the anterior interposed nucleus (IntA) was remarkably well aligned to reach endpoint, scaling with the magnitude of limb deceleration. Closed-loop optogenetic modulation of IntA activity, triggered on reach, supported a causal role for this activity in controlling reach velocity in real time. Relating endogenous neural variability to kinematic variability, we found that IntA endpoint activity is adaptively engaged relative to variations in initial reach velocity, supporting endpoint precision. Taken together, these results provide a framework for understanding the physiology and pathophysiology of the intermediate cerebellum during precise skilled movements.

Persistent motor dysfunction despite homeostatic rescue of cerebellar morphogenesis in the Car8 waddles mutant mouse

Background

Purkinje cells play a central role in establishing the cerebellar circuit. Accordingly, disrupting Purkinje cell development impairs cerebellar morphogenesis and motor function. In the Car8^wdl mouse model of hereditary ataxia, severe motor deficits arise despite the cerebellum overcoming initial defects in size and morphology.

Methods

To resolve how this compensation occurs, we asked how the loss of carbonic anhydrase 8 (CAR8), a regulator of IP3R1 Ca²⁺ signaling in Purkinje cells, alters cerebellar development in Car8^wdl mice. Using a combination of histological, physiological, and behavioral analyses, we determined the extent to which the loss of CAR8 affects cerebellar anatomy, neuronal firing, and motor coordination during development.

Results

Our results reveal that granule cell proliferation is reduced in early postnatal mutants, although by the third postnatal week there is enhanced and prolonged proliferation, plus an upregulation of Sox2 expression in the inner EGL. Modified circuit patterning of Purkinje cells and Bergmann glia accompany these granule cell adjustments. We also find that although anatomy eventually normalizes, the abnormal activity of neurons and muscles persists.

Conclusions

Our data show that losing CAR8 only transiently restricts cerebellar growth, but permanently damages its function. These data support two current hypotheses about cerebellar development and disease: (1) Sox2 expression may be upregulated at sites of injury and contribute to the rescue of cerebellar structure and (2) transient delays to developmental processes may precede permanent motor dysfunction. Furthermore, we characterize waddles mutant mouse morphology and behavior during development and propose a Sox2-positive, cell-mediated role for rescue in a mouse model of human motor diseases.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13064-019-0130-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Contributions of the Cerebellum for Predictive and Instructional Control of Movement

The cerebellum with its layered structure and stereotyped and conserved connectivity has long puzzled neurobiologists. While it is well established that the cerebellum functions in regulating balance, motor coordination and motor learning, how it achieves these end results has not been very clear. Recent technical advances have made it possible to tease apart the contributions of cerebellar cell types to movement in behaving animals. We review these studies focusing on the three major cerebellar cell types, namely: granule cells, Purkinje neurons and the cells of the deep cerebellar nuclei. Further, we also review our current understanding of cortico-cerebellar and basal ganglia-cerebellar interactions that play vital roles in motor planning and motor learning.

Molecular layer interneurons shape the spike activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells

Purkinje cells receive synaptic input from several classes of interneurons. Here, we address the roles of inhibitory molecular layer interneurons in establishing Purkinje cell function in vivo. Using conditional genetics approaches in mice, we compare how the lack of stellate cell versus basket cell GABAergic neurotransmission sculpts the firing properties of Purkinje cells. We take advantage of an inducible Ascl1CreER allele to spatially and temporally target the deletion of the vesicular GABA transporter, Vgat, in developing neurons. Selective depletion of basket cell GABAergic neurotransmission increases the frequency of Purkinje cell simple spike firing and decreases the frequency of complex spike firing in adult behaving mice. In contrast, lack of stellate cell communication increases the regularity of Purkinje cell simple spike firing while increasing the frequency of complex spike firing. Our data uncover complementary roles for molecular layer interneurons in shaping the rate and pattern of Purkinje cell activity in vivo.

Motor context dominates output from purkinje cell functional regions during reflexive visuomotor behaviours

The cerebellum integrates sensory stimuli and motor actions to enable smooth coordination and motor learning. Here we harness the innate behavioral repertoire of the larval zebrafish to characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of feature coding across the entire Purkinje cell population during visual stimuli and the reflexive behaviors that they elicit. Population imaging reveals three spatially-clustered regions of Purkinje cell activity along the rostrocaudal axis. Complementary single-cell electrophysiological recordings assign these Purkinje cells to one of three functional phenotypes that encode a specific visual, and not motor, signal via complex spikes. In contrast, simple spike output of most Purkinje cells is strongly driven by motor-related tail and eye signals. Interactions between complex and simple spikes show heterogeneous modulation patterns across different Purkinje cells, which become temporally restricted during swimming episodes. Our findings reveal how sensorimotor information is encoded by individual Purkinje cells and organized into behavioral modules across the entire cerebellum.

Normal cognitive and social development require posterior cerebellar activity

Cognitive and social capacities require postnatal experience, yet the pathways by which experience guides development are unknown. Here we show that the normal development of motor and nonmotor capacities requires cerebellar activity. Using chemogenetic perturbation of molecular layer interneurons to attenuate cerebellar output in mice, we found that activity of posterior regions in juvenile life modulates adult expression of eyeblink conditioning (paravermal lobule VI, crus I), reversal learning (lobule VI), persistive behavior and novelty-seeking (lobule VII), and social preference (crus I/II). Perturbation in adult life altered only a subset of phenotypes. Both adult and juvenile disruption left gait metrics largely unaffected. Contributions to phenotypes increased with the amount of lobule inactivated. Using an anterograde transsynaptic tracer, we found that posterior cerebellum made strong connections with prelimbic, orbitofrontal, and anterior cingulate cortex. These findings provide anatomical substrates for the clinical observation that cerebellar injury increases the risk of autism.

Encoding of locomotion kinematics in the mouse cerebellum

The cerebellum is involved in coordinating motor behaviour, but how the cerebellar network regulates locomotion is still not well understood. We characterised the activity of putative cerebellar Purkinje cells, Golgi cells and mossy fibres in awake mice engaged in an active locomotion task, using high-density silicon electrode arrays. Analysis of the activity of over 300 neurons in response to locomotion revealed that the majority of cells (53%) were significantly modulated by phase of the stepping cycle. However, in contrast to studies involving passive locomotion on a treadmill, we found that a high proportion of cells (45%) were tuned to the speed of locomotion, and 19% were tuned to yaw movements. The activity of neurons in the cerebellar vermis provided more information about future speed of locomotion than about past or present speed, suggesting a motor, rather than purely sensory, role. We were able to accurately decode the speed of locomotion with a simple linear algorithm, with only a relatively small number of well-chosen cells needed, irrespective of cell class. Our observations suggest that behavioural state modulates cerebellar sensorimotor integration, and advocate a role for the cerebellar vermis in control of high-level locomotor kinematic parameters such as speed and yaw.

Neonatal brain injury causes cerebellar learning deficits and Purkinje cell dysfunction

Premature infants are more likely to develop locomotor disorders than term infants. In a chronic sub-lethal hypoxia (Hx) mouse model of neonatal brain injury, we recently demonstrated the presence of cellular and physiological changes in the cerebellar white matter. We also observed Hx-induced delay in Purkinje cell (PC) arborization. However, the behavioral consequences of these cellular alterations remain unexplored. Using the Erasmus Ladder to study cerebellar behavior, we report the presence of locomotor malperformance and long-term cerebellar learning deficits in Hx mice. Optogenetics experiments in Hx mice reveal a profound reduction in spontaneous and photoevoked PC firing frequency. Finally, treatment with a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) reuptake inhibitor partially rescues locomotor performance and improves PC firing. Our results demonstrate a long-term miscoordination phenotype characterized by locomotor malperformance and cerebellar learning deficits in a mouse model of neonatal brain injury. Our findings also implicate the developing GABA network as a potential therapeutic target for prematurity-related locomotor deficits.

The Relationship between Saccades and Locomotion

Human locomotion involves a complex interplay among multiple brain regions and depends on constant feedback from the visual system. We summarize here the current understanding of the relationship among fixations, saccades, and gait as observed in studies sampling eye movements during locomotion, through a review of the literature and a synthesis of the relevant knowledge on the topic. A significant overlap in locomotor and saccadic neural circuitry exists that may support this relationship. Several animal studies have identified potential integration nodes between these overlapping circuitries. Behavioral studies that explored the relationship of saccadic and gait-related impairments in normal conditions and in various disease states are also discussed. Eye movements and locomotion share many underlying neural circuits, and further studies can leverage this interplay for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Short-Term Plasticity Combines with Excitation-Inhibition Balance to Expand Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Dynamic Range

The balance between excitation (E) and inhibition (I) in neuronal networks controls the firing rate of principal cells through simple network organization, such as feedforward inhibitory circuits. Here, we demonstrate in male mice, that at the granule cell (GrC)-molecular layer interneuron (MLI)-Purkinje cell (PC) pathway of the cerebellar cortex, E/I balance is dynamically controlled by short-term dynamics during bursts of stimuli, shaping cerebellar output. Using a combination of electrophysiological recordings, optogenetic stimulation, and modeling, we describe the wide range of bidirectional changes in PC discharge triggered by GrC bursts, from robust excitation to complete inhibition. At high frequency (200 Hz), increasing the number of pulses in a burst (from 3 to 7) can switch a net inhibition of PC to a net excitation. Measurements of EPSCs and IPSCs during bursts and modeling showed that this feature can be explained by the interplay between short-term dynamics of the GrC-MLI-PC pathway and E/I balance impinging on PC. Our findings demonstrate that PC firing rate is highly sensitive to the duration of GrC bursts, which may define a temporal-to-rate code transformation in the cerebellar cortex.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sensorimotor information processing in the cerebellar cortex leads to the occurrence of a sequence of synaptic excitation and inhibition in Purkinje cells. Granule cells convey direct excitatory inputs and indirect inhibitory inputs to the Purkinje cells, through molecular layer interneurons, forming a feedforward inhibitory pathway. Using electrophysiological recordings, optogenetic stimulation, and mathematical modeling, we found that presynaptic short-term dynamics affect the balance between synaptic excitation and inhibition on Purkinje cells during high-frequency bursts and can reverse the sign of granule cell influence on Purkinje cell discharge when burst duration increases. We conclude that short-term dynamics may play an important role in transforming the duration of sensory inputs arriving on cerebellar granule cells into cerebellar cortical output firing rate.

Control of voluntary and optogenetically perturbed locomotion by spike rate and timing of neurons of the mouse cerebellar nuclei

Neurons of the cerebellar nuclei (CbN), which generate cerebellar output, are inhibited by Purkinje cells. With extracellular recordings during voluntary locomotion in head-fixed mice, we tested how the rate and coherence of inhibition influence CbN cell firing and well-practiced movements. Firing rates of Purkinje and CbN cells were modulated systematically through the stride cycle (~200–300 ms). Optogenetically stimulating ChR2-expressing Purkinje cells with light steps or trains evoked either asynchronous or synchronous inhibition of CbN cells. Steps slowed CbN firing. Trains suppressed CbN cell firing less effectively, but consistently altered millisecond-scale spike timing. Steps or trains that perturbed stride-related modulation of CbN cell firing rates correlated well with irregularities of movement, suggesting that ongoing locomotion is sensitive to alterations in modulated CbN cell firing. Unperturbed locomotion continued more often during trains than steps, however, suggesting that stride-related modulation of CbN spiking is less readily disrupted by synchronous than asynchronous inhibition.

Cerebellar compartments for the processing of kinematic and kinetic information related to hindlimb stepping

We previously showed that proprioceptive sensory input from the hindlimbs to the anterior cerebellar cortex of the cat may not be simply organized with respect to a body map, but it may also be distributed to multiple discrete functional areas extending beyond classical body map boundaries. With passive hindlimb stepping movements, cerebellar activity was shown to relate to whole limb kinematics as does the activity of dorsal spinocerebellar tract (DSCT) neurons. For DSCT activity, whole limb kinematics provides a solid functional framework within which information about limb forces, such as those generated during active stepping, may also be embedded. In this study, we investigated this idea for the spinocerebellar cortex activity by examining the activity of cerebellar cortical neurons during both passive bipedal hindlimb stepping and active stepping on a treadmill. Our results showed a functional compartmentalization of cerebellar responses to hindlimb stepping movements depending on the two types of stepping and strong relationships between neural activities and limb axis kinematics during both. In fact, responses to passive and active stepping were generally different, but in both cases their waveforms were related strongly to the limb axis kinematics. That is, the different stepping conditions modified the kinematics representation without producing different components in the response waveforms. In sum, cerebellar activity was consistent with a global kinematics framework serving as a basis upon which detailed information about limb mechanics and/or about individual limb segments might be imposed.

Individual Movement Variability Magnitudes Are Explained by Cortical Neural Variability

Humans exhibit considerable motor variability even across trivial reaching movements. This variability can be separated into specific kinematic components such as extent and direction that are thought to be governed by distinct neural processes. Here, we report that individual subjects (males and females) exhibit different magnitudes of kinematic variability, which are consistent (within individual) across movements to different targets and regardless of which arm (right or left) was used to perform the movements. Simultaneous fMRI recordings revealed that the same subjects also exhibited different magnitudes of fMRI variability across movements in a variety of motor system areas. These fMRI variability magnitudes were also consistent across movements to different targets when performed with either arm. Cortical fMRI variability in the posterior-parietal cortex of individual subjects explained their movement-extent variability. This relationship was apparent only in posterior-parietal cortex and not in other motor system areas, thereby suggesting that individuals with more variable movement preparation exhibit larger kinematic variability. We therefore propose that neural and kinematic variability are reliable and interrelated individual characteristics that may predispose individual subjects to exhibit distinct motor capabilities.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neural activity and movement kinematics are remarkably variable. Although intertrial variability is rarely studied, here, we demonstrate that individual human subjects exhibit distinct magnitudes of neural and kinematic variability that are reproducible across movements to different targets and when performing these movements with either arm. Furthermore, when examining the relationship between cortical variability and movement variability, we find that cortical fMRI variability in parietal cortex of individual subjects explained their movement extent variability. This enabled us to explain why some subjects performed more variable movements than others based on their cortical variability magnitudes.

Genetic silencing of olivocerebellar synapses causes dystonia-like behaviour in mice

Theories of cerebellar function place the inferior olive to cerebellum connection at the centre of motor behaviour. One possible implication of this is that disruption of olivocerebellar signalling could play a major role in initiating motor disease. To test this, we devised a mouse genetics approach to silence glutamatergic signalling only at olivocerebellar synapses. The resulting mice had a severe neurological condition that mimicked the early-onset twisting, stiff limbs and tremor that is observed in dystonia, a debilitating movement disease. By blocking olivocerebellar excitatory neurotransmission, we eliminated Purkinje cell complex spikes and induced aberrant cerebellar nuclear activity. Pharmacologically inhibiting the erratic output of the cerebellar nuclei in the mutant mice improved movement. Furthermore, deep brain stimulation directed to the interposed cerebellar nuclei reduced dystonia-like postures in these mice. Collectively, our data uncover a neural mechanism by which olivocerebellar dysfunction promotes motor disease phenotypes and identify the cerebellar nuclei as a therapeutic target for surgical intervention.

Dystonia is thought to be driven by impairments in cerebellar signalling. The authors use a mouse genetic approach to silence excitatory transmission in the inferior olive to cerebellum pathway, resulting in dystonia-like signs in the animals which can be alleviated using DBS stimulation of the pathway.

Wireless inertial measurement of head kinematics in freely-moving rats

While miniature inertial sensors offer a promising means for precisely detecting, quantifying and classifying animal behaviors, versatile inertial sensing devices adapted for small, freely-moving laboratory animals are still lacking. We developed a standalone and cost-effective platform for performing high-rate wireless inertial measurements of head movements in rats. Our system is designed to enable real-time bidirectional communication between the headborne inertial sensing device and third party systems, which can be used for precise data timestamping and low-latency motion-triggered applications. We illustrate the usefulness of our system in diverse experimental situations. We show that our system can be used for precisely quantifying motor responses evoked by external stimuli, for characterizing head kinematics during normal behavior and for monitoring head posture under normal and pathological conditions obtained using unilateral vestibular lesions. We also introduce and validate a novel method for automatically quantifying behavioral freezing during Pavlovian fear conditioning experiments, which offers superior performance in terms of precision, temporal resolution and efficiency. Thus, this system precisely acquires movement information in freely-moving animals, and can enable objective and quantitative behavioral scoring methods in a wide variety of experimental situations.

Will big data yield new mathematics? An evolving synergy with neuroscience

New mathematics has often been inspired by new insights into the natural world. Here we describe some ongoing and possible future interactions among the massive data sets being collected in neuroscience, methods for their analysis and mathematical models of the underlying, still largely uncharted neural substrates that generate these data. We start by recalling events that occurred in turbulence modelling when substantial space-time velocity field measurements and numerical simulations allowed a new perspective on the governing equations of fluid mechanics. While no analogous global mathematical model of neural processes exists, we argue that big data may enable validation or at least rejection of models at cellular to brain area scales and may illuminate connections among models. We give examples of such models and survey some relatively new experimental technologies, including optogenetics and functional imaging, that can report neural activity in live animals performing complex tasks. The search for analytical techniques for these data is already yielding new mathematics, and we believe their multi-scale nature may help relate well-established models, such as the Hodgkin-Huxley equations for single neurons, to more abstract models of neural circuits, brain areas and larger networks within the brain. In brief, we envisage a closer liaison, if not a marriage, between neuroscience and mathematics.

An optimized surgical approach for obtaining stable extracellular single-unit recordings from the cerebellum of head-fixed behaving mice

BACKGROUND

Electrophysiological recording approaches are essential for understanding brain function. Among these approaches are various methods of performing single-unit recordings. However, a major hurdle to overcome when recording single units in vivo is stability. Poor stability results in a low signal-to-noise ratio, which makes it challenging to isolate neuronal signals. Proper isolation is needed for differentiating a signal from neighboring cells or the noise inherent to electrophysiology. Insufficient isolation makes it impossible to analyze full action potential waveforms. A common source of instability is an inadequate surgery. Problems during surgery cause blood loss, tissue damage and poor healing of the surrounding tissue, limited access to the target brain region, and, importantly, unreliable fixation points for holding the mouse's head.

NEW METHOD

We describe an optimized surgical procedure that ensures limited tissue damage and delineate a method for implanting head plates to hold the animal firmly in place.

RESULTS

Using the cerebellum as a model, we implement an extracellular recording technique to acquire single units from Purkinje cells and cerebellar nuclear neurons in behaving mice. We validate the stability of our method by holding single units after injecting the powerful tremorgenic drug harmaline. We performed multiple structural analyses after recording.

COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS

Our approach is ideal for studying neuronal function in active mice and valuable for recording single-neuron activity when considerable motion is unavoidable.

CONCLUSIONS

The surgical principles we present for accessing the cerebellum can be easily adapted to examine the function of neurons in other brain regions.