ON THE CEREBELLUM, CUTANEOMUSCULAR REFLEXES, MOVEMENT CONTROL AND THEELUSIVE ENGRAMS OF MEMORY

This review focuses on the role of the cerebellum in regulating cutane omuscular reflexes and provides a hypothesis regarding the way in whic h this action contributes to the coordination of goal-directed movemen ts of the extremities. Specific attention is directed towards the cere bellum's role in conditioned and unconditioned eyeblink reflexes and l imb withdrawal reflexes as models of its interactions with the cutaneo muscular reflex systems. The implications regarding the cerebellum as a storage site for motor engrams also is discussed in the context of t hese two behaviors. The proposed hypothesis suggests that the cerebell um regulates important features of the cutaneomuscular reflex circuits including the integration of their activity with descending pathways in a manner that implements these fundamental reflex circuits in the o rganization and control of goal-directed movements of the extremities.