Nonsomatic cerebullar circuits: a broader view of cerebellar involvements in locomotion

The cerebellum not only receives extensive proprioceptive input from the periphery but also has bidirectional monosynaptic connections with the hypothalamus. This latter structure, in turn, is reciprocally interconnected with brain-stem visceral centers that also project to the cerebellum. Through these connections, information derived from somatic receptors that arrives at the cerebellum can directly influence visceral centers and circuits. It is suggested that the visceral responses seen during locomotor activity can be continuously monitored and partially regulated through such connections.