Cerebro-cerebellar interactions in goal directed behaviour

Human neuroimaging and clinical studies have implicated the cerebellum in cognition but almost nothing is known about the neural network basis of this function at the systems level of neuronal activity. The present proposal uses the combined power of in vivo electrophysiological recording and stimulation approaches and neuroanatomical mapping methods in experimental animals to investigate functional connectivity between the
cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. Large scale brain network interactions during cognitive processes will be examined using multichannel neuronal recording methods in chronically instrumented rats. Uniquely, this approach will be combined with investigating directly the effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation on cerebro-cerebellar neural network function and goal-directed behavioural performance.