Rf. Rogers et al., Learning-related interpositus activity is conserved across species as studied during eyeblink conditioning in the rat, BRAIN RES, 905(1-2), 2001, pp. 171-177
Single-unit activity was monitored in the interpositus nucleus of the cereb
ellum during standard delay conditioning of the eyeblink response in freely
-moving rats. The rats were implanted with recording electrodes in the inte
rpositus nucleus then received paired presentations of a tone-conditioned s
timulus (CS) and eye-shock unconditioned stimulus during acquisition traini
ng. The acquisition training was followed by CS-alone extinction training.
Learning-related activity in the interpositus nucleus developed over the co
urse of acquisition training and then activity returned to baseline levels
during subsequent extinction training. These findings are consistent with r
abbit studies that have demonstrated similar changes in neuronal activity i
n the interpositus nucleus over the course of acquisition and extinction of
the eyeblink response, thus providing strong evidence for the generality o
f the neural substrates of eyeblink conditioning across species. (C) 2001 P
ublished by Elsevier Science B.V.