Task 3

Question 1

What is the main function of the Cerebellum when talking about “motor errors”?

Answer 1

The cerebellum compares the intended movement with the actual movement and can if necessary make corrections.

Question 2

How do we call the most medial part of the cerebellum?

Answer 2

Vermis

Question 3

Name the three main subdivisions of the cerebellar hemispheres

Answer 3

Cerebrocerebellum
Spinocerebellum
Vestibulocerebellum

Question 4

Which subpart of the cerebellum is the largest?

Answer 4

Cerebrocerebellum

Question 5

For which muscles is the Vermis important?

Answer 5

Proximal and eye muscles

Question 6

The cerebellum receives direct input from the spinal cord, which enters the cerebellum at the…

Answer 6

Spinocerebellum

Question 7

Which part of the cerebellum is the oldest and occupied with posture and equilibrium?

Answer 7

Vestibulocerebellum

Question 8

The vestibulocerebellum can be further subdivided into:

Answer 8

Flocculus (ends) & Nodulus (connecting point)

Question 9

The name for a very large pathway is:

Answer 9

Peduncle

Question 10

How many cerebellar peduncles are there? Give their names.

Answer 10

3:

Superior, Middle and Inferior Cerebellar Peduncle

Question 11

What does the pontine nucleus relay to the cerebellum?

Answer 11

Visual input

Question 12

Which of the Peduncles is special in the sense that it stays ipsilateral?

Answer 12

The inferior peduncle

Question 13

What is a difference in the way how visual information vs sensory information travels to the cerebellum?

Answer 13

Sensory information (Vestibular and Spinal inputs): Ipsilateral
Visual information: Contralateral

Question 14

What can be said about the topography in the cerebellum?

Answer 14

Its map is fractured: Every area of the body is represented multiple times by separated clusters, rather than in a single continuous map.

Question 15

Describe a loop starting in the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum, which is important for adaptive functions.

Answer 15

Dentate Nucleus -> Superior Peduncle -> Red Nucleus -> Inferior Olives -> Cerebellum
-> Feedback loop

Question 16

When regions of the cerebellum send projections via the Thalamus back to the cortical regions, where the input came from, we call this:

Answer 16

A closed loop

Question 17

What is meant by the term “open loop”?

Answer 17

When the cerebellum receives input from multiple cortical areas and gives output to upper motor neurons in area 4 and 6

Question 18

The Cerebellar Cortex gives descending output to the ____ and directly to the ____ .

Answer 18

Deep Cerebellar Nuclei; Vestibular Nuclei

Question 19

What are the three layers of the Cerebellar cortex?

Answer 19

Molecular
Purkinje
Granule

Question 20

What is a major relay station of neurons coming from the neocortex, travelling to the cerebellar cortex?

Answer 20

The Pontine Nuclei

Question 21

From which type of cell do parallel fibers originate?

Answer 21

Granule Cells

Question 22

Cells coming from the brainstem or pontine nuclei, and synapsing with granule cells and deep cerebellar nuclei, are called…?

Answer 22

Mossy Fibers

Question 23

What is the gist of the Marr-Albus Theory?

Answer 23

There is plasticity at the parallel fiber synapse with the purkinje cell, if it is active at the same time as the climbing fiber input into the purkinje cell.

Question 24

What kind of signal do the climbing fibers convey to the purkinje cell?

Answer 24

Error signals

Question 25

What is an argument that supports the theory of neural models?

Answer 25

As negative feedback control is slow, many movements have to be preprogrammed.

Question 26

What is reafference in the context of forward neural models?

Answer 26

Transforming a set of motor commands into a prediction of their outcome, represented as the sensory stimulation, which the movement will generate.

Question 27

Describe the experiment that supports the theory of forward models.

Answer 27

• > Cats were trained to track movements of an object with the paw
• > Object was covered
• > Purkinje cells predicted the expected sensory feedback of the movement of reaching out, even when the object was covered.

Question 28

Which neurotransmitters play a major role in basal-ganglia functioning?

Answer 28

Dopamine and GABA

Question 29

What is the main job of the middle peduncle?

Answer 29

It carries input signals from the cerebrum to the cerebellum, with information about voluntary movements.

Question 30

Is the superior cerebellar peduncle mainly output or input?

Answer 30

output

Question 31

How does information about proprioception of our limbs get into the cerebellum?

Answer 31

Via the inferior peduncle

Question 32

What kind of information do mossy fibers convey?

Answer 32

Sensory information and information about muscle states.

Question 33

What kind of fibers connect the inferior olives with the purkinje cells?

Answer 33

Climbing Fibers

Question 34

Parallel fibers are parallel axons of which kind of cells?

Answer 34

Granule Cells

Question 35

What is the name of a very important nucleus in the cerebellum, when it comes to regulating in- and output?

Answer 35

The Dentate Nucleus