Cerebellar Purkinje cell activity related to the classically conditioned nictitating membrane response

Because of the purported critical role of cerebellar lobule HVI in classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane response of the rabbit, we recorded extracellularly from HVI Purkinje cells (PCs) during differential conditioning. Rabbits were trained using tonal conditioned stimuli (CSs) and stimulation of the periocular region as the unconditioned stimulus (US). Many PCs responded to the US, the most frequently observed response being a burst of simple spikes. PCs in HVI showed a variety of responses to CSs that were related to conditioned responses (CRs). The most frequently observed response was an increase in simple spikes correlated with CRs. The activity of many of these cells antedated CRs by 20-200 ms. A smaller proportion of cells exhibited inhibition of simple spike activity that antedated CRs. The existence of PCs that alter their firing before CRs suggests that they may be causally involved in this behavior, and in this respect they reinforce reports that lesions of HVI or its connections disrupt nictitating membrane CRs. Although complex spike activity was not generally related to the US or to CRs, a few PCs responded in relation to CRs with only complex spikes. In demonstrating CR-related activity in cerebellar PCs, this study supports theories of cerebellar learning such as those of Marr and Albus.