Timing in eyeblink classical conditioning and timed-interval tapping

The cerebellum is implicated in interval timing for diverse tasks including eyeblink classical conditioning (EBCC) and repetitive tapping We examined performance on both tasks across identical intervals ranging from 325 to 55 0 ms. In five weekly sessions, 23 participants used a different interval ea ch week, both as the target for tapping and as the delay interval in EBCC. Changes in variability as a function of the tapping or delay interval were assessed using regression analyses. The slope for repetitive tapping was co mparable to two measures of temporal acuity in EBCC, onset and peak latency of the conditioned response. Each of 80 additional participants was assess ed in one session at one of four tapping and delay intervals. Results were similar to those observed in the repeated measures group. These findings pr ovide further evidence that EBCC and repetitive tapping utilize common mech anisms for representing temporal information.