Computational analysis of cerebellar motor learning

描述：(摘自申请人的摘要)： 这个项目的长期目标是充分了解小脑。 建立一个计算机模拟来模拟它的功能。几个偶然事件 小脑的特点使其特别适合于使用 大规模、自下而上的计算机模拟。这些活动的目标是 模拟是使我们对小脑的理解在 信息处理水平：小脑处理什么和如何处理。这个 具体目标建立在以前工作的基础上，利用 巴甫洛夫眼皮调理，以建立和测试生物学上的详细和 精确的小脑计算机模拟。对该项目的研究 将采取双管齐下的方法：模拟的能力将是 用作检验潜在机制的实证研究的基础 通过模拟预测，模拟的缺点将被用作 为模拟的进一步发展奠定了基础。具体的假设将 关于增加特定生物特征将如何 缓解具体短板。通过这种方式，模拟允许 小脑运作机制的系统结构-功能分析 在运动学习过程中。眼皮调理的使用 模拟必须完成的小脑依赖行为提供了一个 丰富的行为特性曲目来挑战模拟和 ITS的模拟和实证检验之间的联系 预测相当准确。这些研究的完成将提供一个 相对清楚地描述了小脑的基本运作机制 在学习和适应动作时。这应该有重要的未来 对小脑损伤或退行性疾病患者的影响 病理学。此外，越来越多的证据表明，地球的某些部分 人类的小脑都参与了非运动性的认知过程。自.以来 这些区域的突触组织和那些参与运动学习的人 似乎没有什么不同，小脑必须贡献相同的信息 对运动和认知任务的处理。因此，拟议的研究 代表学习小脑信息处理的能力 非常容易控制的运动行为，然后将这些信息应用于更多 复杂的认知过程。因此，这些研究将提供一个基本的 了解电机重要方面的信息处理 系统，并可为更深入地理解 应用于认知特性的信息处理的神经基础 也是。

DESCRIPTION:(from applicant's abstract): The long-term goal of this project is to understand the cerebellum well enough to build a computer simulation that emulates its function. Several fortuitous features of the cerebellum make it especially amenable to analysis using large-scale, bottom-up computer simulations. The objectives of these simulations is to make our understanding of the cerebellum expressible at the level of information processing: what the cerebellum processes and how. The specific aims build on previous work using the particular advantages of Pavlovian eyelid conditioning to build and test biologically detailed and accurate computer simulations of the cerebellum. The studies of this project will follow a two-pronged approach: capabilities of the simulations will be used as the basis for empirical studies that test underlying mechanisms predicted by the simulations, shortcomings of the simulations will be used as the basis for further development of the simulations. Specific hypotheses will be pursued as to how the addition of specific biological features will alleviate specific shortcomings. In this way the simulations permit a systematic structure-function analysis of cerebellar mechanisms that operate during motor learning. The use of eyelid conditioning as the cerebellar-dependent behavior that the simulations must accomplish provides a rich repertoire of behavioral properties to challenge the simulations and makes the connections the between the simulations and empirical tests of its predictions quite tight. The completion of these studies will provide a relatively clear picture of the basic mechanisms that operate in the cerebellum during learning and adaptation of movements. This should have important future implications for those afflicted with cerebellar damage or degenerative pathologies. In addition, mounting evidence suggests that certain parts of the human cerebellum are involved in non-motor, cognitive process. Since the synaptic organization of these regions and those involved in motor learning do not appear to differ, the cerebellum must contribute the same information processing to both motor and cognitive tasks. The proposed studies therefore represent the ability to study information processing of the cerebellum using quite tractable motor behaviors and then to apply that information to more complex cognitive processes. Thus, these studies will provide a basic understanding of information processing for important aspects of the motor system, and could provide the foundation for a deeper understanding of the neural basis of information processing that is applied to cognitive properties as well.