Is there a functional link between the cerebellum and the hippocampus relevant to spatial navigation?
-
1
Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, NPA, UMR7102, France
-
2
Universite de Provence, LNC, France
Path integration requires the online estimation of a navigator position using self-motion cues. This process is necessary to the acquisition of an internal representation of the environment in the absence of allothetic cues. The hippocampal formation plays a key role in the development of spatial representations. The cerebellum is likely to mediate context-dependent optimization of navigation trajectories. Empirical experimental evidence exists that the cerebellum and the hippocampal formation are electrophysiologically coupled through a number of synaptic connections that remain unknown. We put forth the hypothesis that the cerebellum may contribute to the processing of self-motion cues, and therefore interact with the hippocampus for the elaboration of spatial representations.
We adopt a multidisciplinary behavioural, electrophysiological, and neuroanatomical approach to study the spatial navigation capabilities of transgenic mice (L7-PKCI), which have impaired long-term synaptic depression (LTD) at cerebellar parallel fiber-Purkinje cell (PF-PC) synapses. Behavioural data show that in a path integration version of the Morris water maze, L7-PKCI animals present a drift in their trajectory toward a platform in the dark. Electrophysiological recordings of hippocampal place cells in L7-PKCI were performed as they explored a circular arena. Preliminary data may suggest an alteration of hippocampal place fields in the case of either an absence of allothetic cues or a conflict between external and self-motion cues. Using neuronal tracers, we are currently investigating if the connections between the hippocampus and the cerebellum are mono- or multi-synaptic.
Our data seem to suggest that cerebellar PF-PC LTD might be important for the path integration process. A deficit in this process seems to induce impairment in the hippocampal place field representation. This may support the hypothesis of a functional link between the hippocampal formation and the cerebellum.
Conference:
41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting, Rhodes Island, Greece, 13 Sep - 18 Sep, 2009.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Poster presentations
Citation:
Arabo
A,
Rochefort
C,
Quet
S,
Andre
M,
Save
E and
Rondi-Reig
L
(2009). Is there a functional link between the cerebellum and the hippocampus relevant to spatial navigation?.
Conference Abstract:
41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.08.2009.09.360
Copyright:
The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers.
They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters.
The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated.
Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed.
For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions.
Received:
16 Jun 2009;
Published Online:
16 Jun 2009.
*
Correspondence:
Arnaud Arabo, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, NPA, UMR7102, Paris, France, christelle.rochefort@upmc.fr