A monkey of the species Macaca mulatta, which was used to perform the eye-tracking experiments. Image credit: Donald Hobern (CC BY 2.0)
The human brain can do many things, from reading and remembering the words written on a page to adapting and improving movements. When a movement misses its goal, the strength of the connections between cells in a part of the brain known as the cerebellum changes. The cerebellum is important for coordinating movements, including eye movements. When the connections between the cells in the cerebellum – known as neurons – strengthen or weaken, the cerebellum changes how it will respond in the future, leading to more accurate movements. However, the speed of the changes in the connections and how the connections between different neurons evolve and coordinate were unknown.
Herzfeld et al. have now combined eye-tracking studies in monkeys with computer modeling based on what is known about the neural circuits in the cerebellum to learn more about the changes in these connections. Monkeys watched a moving target that would abruptly change direction. In the next movement, the eye-tracking equipment monitored how well the monkey’s eyes anticipated the unexpected change in the target’s direction – a form of motor learning. Using the experimental data, Herzfeld et al. produced a model that outlines general principles of how the cerebellum might manage this process. The model suggested that neurons in one region in the cerebellum, known as Purkinje cells, learn from mistakes quickly, but have poor long-term retention. If the movement is repeated, Purkinje cells teach another area of the cerebellum, the cerebellar nucleus, which takes longer to learn but has much better retention.
Although these findings are based on a simple motor learning task, they are the first step to understanding how the brain forms memories and how we might learn more complex behaviors.
