Learning-related interpositus activity is conserved across species as studied during eyeblink conditioning in the rat

Single-unit activity was monitored in the interpositus nucleus of the cerebellum during standard delay conditioning of the eyeblink response in freely-moving rats. The rats were implanted with recording electrodes in the interpositus nucleus then received paired presentations of a tone-conditioned stimulus (CS) and eye-shock unconditioned stimulus during acquisition training. The acquisition training was followed by CS-alone extinction training. Learning-related activity in the interpositus nucleus developed over the course of acquisition training and then activity returned to baseline levels during subsequent extinction training. These findings are consistent with rabbit studies that have demonstrated similar changes in neuronal activity in the interpositus nucleus over the course of acquisition and extinction of the eyeblink response, thus providing strong evidence for the generality of the neural substrates of eyeblink conditioning across species.