Transient inhibition of the cerebellum impairs change-detection processes: Cerebellar contributions to sensorimotor integration.
Loading...
Date
2020-01
Authors
Andrew, Danielle
Ibey, Robyn J.
Staines, W. Richard
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Patients with cerebellar lesions have shown altered responses to unpredictable stimuli. This finding has led to the
belief that the cerebellum is involved in comparing incoming stimuli with previously experienced stimuli in
order to predict and coordinate responses. The role of the cerebellum is thought to extend beyond motor control
to higher-order executive functions, which allow for the evaluation of stimuli that influence our personal reactions,
emotions, and thoughts. This current study tested the role of the cerebellum on cognitive function by
examining incoming sensory stimuli being unattended by the participant. Median and ulnar nerve somatosensory
evoked potentials (SEPs) were elicited by electrical stimulation via surface electrodes. Nerve stimulation
was presented in an oddball fashion where median and ulnar stimulation were presented as frequent and deviant
stimuli, respectively. Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to measure participants’ cortical responses both
before and after either continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) used to transiently inhibit cerebellar activity, or
a sham condition. The N140 was shown to be modulated in response to deviant stimuli, resulting in a large
negativity pre-cTBS, referred to as the mismatch-negativity (MMN). Following cTBS, the MMN was reduced,
resulting in similar waveform patterns in response to both the frequent and deviant stimuli. The mechanisms that
are thought to modulate this change within the N140 in response to deviant stimuli are believed to be different
from those that govern its response to frequent stimuli. The cerebellum may be involved in attentive change detection
processes that are critical for a wide-range of everyday processes.
Description
The final publication is available at Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112273. © 2020. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Keywords
cerebellum, sensorimotor integration (SMI), oddball, continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), evoked potentials