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The role of climbing and parallel fibers inputs to cerebellar cortex in navigation
Laure Rondi-Reig1, Nathalie Le Marec, Jean Caston
1FRE 2371 Neurobiologie des Processus Adaptatifs, Laboratoire Développement et Vieillissement du Système Nerveux (DVSN), Case 14, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France. laure.rondi-reig@college-de-france.fr
Abstract:
DA-HAN rats with partial or total lesion of climbing (CF) and parallel fibers (PF) inputs of the cerebellum were tested in a water task. Two different protocols were used, requiring to find either a non-visible or a visible platform. These two protocols were, respectively, designed to evaluate visuo-motor guidance (visible platform) and navigation (non-visible platform). Both groups of lesioned rats presented a deficit in the non-visible platform task but not in the visible platform one. The protocol of navigation we used was a fixed start-fixed arrival procedure. Totally lesioned animals were unable to learn to orient their body toward the non-visible platform and adopted instead a circling behavior. Our results suggest a role of cerebellar inputs (climbing (CF) and PF) in navigation.