brain plasticity: learning coordination (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, February 28, 2014, 20:17 (3712 days ago) @ David Turell

How the brain changes itself with changes in synapses:-"The mechanism that allows individual Purkinje cells to differentiate between the two kinds of climbing fiber signals is an open question. These signals come in bursts, so the number and spacing of the electrical impulses from climbing fiber to Purkinje cell might be significant. Medina and his colleagues also suspect that another mechanism is at play: Purkinje cells might respond differently when a signal from a climbing fiber is synchronized with signals coming elsewhere from the brain. -"Whether either or both of these explanations are confirmed, the fact that individual Purkinje cells are able to distinguish when their corresponding muscle neurons encounter an error must be taken into account in future studies of fine motor control. This understanding could lead to new research into the fundamentals of neuroplasticity and learning. -"Something that would be very useful for the brain is to have information not just about whether there was an error but how big the error was—whether the Purkinje cell needs to make a minor or major adjustment," Medina said. "That sort of information would seem to be necessary for us to get very good at any kind of activity that requires precise control. Perhaps climbing fiber signals are not as 'all-or-nothing' as we all thought and can provide that sort of graded information.'"-http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-02-neurons-fine-tune-motor_1.html