Cerebellar Regulation of Motor Timing and Coordination

In human and non-human primates, motor timing is considered to be dictated by cerebellar control of cortical activity, relayed through the cerebellar-thalamo-cortical (CTC) system. This supposition relies on studies that documented impairments in patients animal models. However, we know very little about way information integrated circuitry affect commands. We addressed this question probing CTC system a primate model. found brief activation pathway efficiently recruits cells throughout premotor cortex. response was dominated powerful inhibition truncated early excitation. At movement onset, input transiently synchronized neighboring neurons. Blocking produced similar symptoms ataxia. The deficits were preceded changes neural activity included local global desynchronization. It suggested excitation–inhibition interplay triggered shapes profile distributed network neurons as required initiate coordinate movements.