Cerebellum and timing

Abstract

A functional characterization of the cerebellum centers on the hypothesis that this structure is essential for the representation of temporal relationships in the subsecond range. This hypothesis is supported by evidence involving a wide range of methods, including lesion studies, neuroimaging, and, to a limited extent, stimulation studies with transcranial magnetic stimulation. The extent of the cerebellar timing domain is not limited to tasks involving sensorimotor control but also extends to perceptual tasks that require the precise timing of salient events. Moreover, the timing hypothesis provides a parsimonious account of the cerebellar contribution to sensorimotor learning. This review presents a summary of this literature as well as highlights some of the limitations of cerebellar timing.