Cerebellar output shapes cortical preparatory activity during motor adaptation

Abstract The cerebellum plays a key role in motor adaptation by driving trial-to-trial recalibration of movements based on previous errors. In primates, cortical correlates of adaptation are encoded already in the pre-movement motor plan, but these early cortical signals could be driven by a cerebel...

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Main Authors: Sharon Israely, Hugo Ninou, Ori Rajchert, Lee Elmaleh, Ran Harel, Firas Mawase, Jonathan Kadmon, Yifat Prut
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57832-4
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author Sharon Israely
Hugo Ninou
Ori Rajchert
Lee Elmaleh
Ran Harel
Firas Mawase
Jonathan Kadmon
Yifat Prut
author_facet Sharon Israely
Hugo Ninou
Ori Rajchert
Lee Elmaleh
Ran Harel
Firas Mawase
Jonathan Kadmon
Yifat Prut
author_sort Sharon Israely
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The cerebellum plays a key role in motor adaptation by driving trial-to-trial recalibration of movements based on previous errors. In primates, cortical correlates of adaptation are encoded already in the pre-movement motor plan, but these early cortical signals could be driven by a cerebellar-to-cortical information flow or evolve independently through intracortical mechanisms. To address this question, we trained female macaque monkeys to reach against a viscous force field (FF) while blocking cerebellar outflow. The cerebellar block led to impaired FF adaptation and a compensatory, re-aiming-like shift in motor cortical preparatory activity. In the null-field conditions, the cerebellar block altered neural preparatory activity by increasing task-representation dimensionality and impeding generalization. A computational model indicated that low-dimensional (cerebellar-like) feedback is sufficient to replicate these findings. We conclude that cerebellar signals carry task structure information that constrains the dimensionality of the cortical preparatory manifold and promotes generalization. In the absence of these signals, cortical mechanisms are harnessed to partially restore adaptation.
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issn 2041-1723
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spelling doaj-art-99957bcbc2ff484488bc2d728bab9cc92025-08-20T03:01:55ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-0116111610.1038/s41467-025-57832-4Cerebellar output shapes cortical preparatory activity during motor adaptationSharon Israely0Hugo Ninou1Ori Rajchert2Lee Elmaleh3Ran Harel4Firas Mawase5Jonathan Kadmon6Yifat Prut7The Edmond and Lily Safra Center For Brain Sciences, The Hebrew UniversityThe Edmond and Lily Safra Center For Brain Sciences, The Hebrew UniversityFaculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of TechnologyThe Edmond and Lily Safra Center For Brain Sciences, The Hebrew UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, Sheba Medical CenterFaculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of TechnologyThe Edmond and Lily Safra Center For Brain Sciences, The Hebrew UniversityThe Edmond and Lily Safra Center For Brain Sciences, The Hebrew UniversityAbstract The cerebellum plays a key role in motor adaptation by driving trial-to-trial recalibration of movements based on previous errors. In primates, cortical correlates of adaptation are encoded already in the pre-movement motor plan, but these early cortical signals could be driven by a cerebellar-to-cortical information flow or evolve independently through intracortical mechanisms. To address this question, we trained female macaque monkeys to reach against a viscous force field (FF) while blocking cerebellar outflow. The cerebellar block led to impaired FF adaptation and a compensatory, re-aiming-like shift in motor cortical preparatory activity. In the null-field conditions, the cerebellar block altered neural preparatory activity by increasing task-representation dimensionality and impeding generalization. A computational model indicated that low-dimensional (cerebellar-like) feedback is sufficient to replicate these findings. We conclude that cerebellar signals carry task structure information that constrains the dimensionality of the cortical preparatory manifold and promotes generalization. In the absence of these signals, cortical mechanisms are harnessed to partially restore adaptation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57832-4
spellingShingle Sharon Israely
Hugo Ninou
Ori Rajchert
Lee Elmaleh
Ran Harel
Firas Mawase
Jonathan Kadmon
Yifat Prut
Cerebellar output shapes cortical preparatory activity during motor adaptation
Nature Communications
title Cerebellar output shapes cortical preparatory activity during motor adaptation
title_full Cerebellar output shapes cortical preparatory activity during motor adaptation
title_fullStr Cerebellar output shapes cortical preparatory activity during motor adaptation
title_full_unstemmed Cerebellar output shapes cortical preparatory activity during motor adaptation
title_short Cerebellar output shapes cortical preparatory activity during motor adaptation
title_sort cerebellar output shapes cortical preparatory activity during motor adaptation
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57832-4
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