Nature Neuroscience
4, 638 - 644 (2001)
doi:10.1038/88465
The cerebellum coordinates eye and hand tracking movementsR. C. Miall1, G. Z. Reckess2
& H. Imamizu31
University Laboratory of Physiology, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
2
Department of Experimental Psychology, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
3
Kawato Dynamic Brain Project, ERATO, JST, 2-2 Hikaridai, Seika, Soraku, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
Correspondence should be addressed to R. C. Miall chris.miall@physiol.ox.ac.ukThe cerebellum is thought to help coordinate movement. We tested this using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the human brain during visually guided tracking tasks requiring varying degrees of eye−hand coordination. The cerebellum was more active during independent rather than coordinated eye and hand tracking. However, in three further tasks, we also found parametric increases in cerebellar blood oxygenation signal (BOLD) as eye−hand coordination increased. Thus, the cerebellar BOLD signal has a non-monotonic relationship to tracking performance, with high activity during both coordinated and independent conditions. These data provide the most direct evidence from functional imaging that the cerebellum supports motor coordination. Its activity is consistent with roles in coordinating and learning to coordinate eye and hand movement.
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