Cerebellar nuclei

Abstract

Understanding the basic physiology of cerebellar nuclei (CN) is essential to the understanding of cerebellar function and disorders as they provide the only output from the cerebellum along with the vestibular nuclei. In addition to integrating the inhibitory input from cerebellar cortical Purkinje cells, CN neurons also receive direct excitation from mossy fi bers and this direct excitatory input to the CN may in fact drive a number of behaviorally relevant activities. The complete picture is considerably more complex than that of a simple relay of incoming excitation and inhibition, however. Specifi cally, the functional signifi cance of synaptic plasticity in the CN, high spontaneous spike rates, post-inhibitory rebound fi ring, and multiple output pathways including GABAergic inhibition feeding back to the inferior olive remain to be elucidated.