Motor Circuit Abnormalities During Cerebellar Development

Abstract

The cerebellum controls ongoing motor function and motor learning. Therefore, damage to its circuits causes a number of movement disorders such as ataxia, dystonia, and tremor. Cerebellar connectivity in both normal and abnormal states has been intensely studied. As a result, its anatomy, circuitry, and neuronal firing properties are among the best understood in the brain. This knowledge has directly facilitated efforts to uncover the mechanisms that cause motor dysfunction. Here, we discuss several mouse models of cerebellar disease. We focus on how cerebellar development depends on genes and neural activity to assemble circuits for behavior.