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REVIEW article

Front. Cell. Neurosci.
Sec. Cellular Neurophysiology
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1487362

Increased understanding of complex neuronal circuits in the cerebellar cortex

Provisionally accepted
Soyoung Jun Soyoung Jun 1*Heeyoun Park Heeyoun Park 1*Muwoong Kim Muwoong Kim 1,2Seul Gi Kang Seul Gi Kang 1,2*Taehyeong Kim Taehyeong Kim 1,3Daun Kim Daun Kim 1,3Yukio Yamamoto Yukio Yamamoto 1*Keiko Tanaka-Yamamoto Keiko Tanaka-Yamamoto 1*
  • 1 Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Bongdong-eup, Republic of Korea
  • 2 Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
  • 3 Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The prevailing belief has been that the fundamental structures of cerebellar neuronal circuits, consisting of a few major neuron types, are simple and well understood. Given that the cerebellum has long been known to be crucial for motor behaviors, these simple yet organized circuit structures seemed beneficial for theoretical studies proposing neural mechanisms underlying cerebellar motor functions and learning. On the other hand, experimental studies using advanced techniques have revealed numerous structural properties that were not traditionally defined. These include subdivided neuronal types and their circuit structures, feedback pathways from output Purkinje cells, and the multidimensional organization of neuronal interactions. With the recent recognition of the cerebellar involvement in non-motor functions, it is possible that these newly identified structural properties, which are potentially capable of generating greater complexity than previously recognized, are associated with increased information capacity. This, in turn, could contribute to the wide range of cerebellar functions. However, it remains largely unknown how such structural properties contribute to cerebellar neural computations through the regulation of neuronal activity or synaptic transmissions. To promote further research into cerebellar circuit structures and their functional significance, we aim to summarize the newly identified structural properties of the cerebellar cortex and discuss future research directions concerning cerebellar circuit structures and their potential functions.

    Keywords: Cerebellar Cortex, neuronal circuits, heterogeneity, Purkinje Cells, granule cells, Molecular layer interneurons

    Received: 28 Aug 2024; Accepted: 27 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Jun, Park, Kim, Kang, Kim, Kim, Yamamoto and Tanaka-Yamamoto. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Soyoung Jun, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Bongdong-eup, Republic of Korea
    Heeyoun Park, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Bongdong-eup, Republic of Korea
    Seul Gi Kang, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Bongdong-eup, Republic of Korea
    Yukio Yamamoto, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Bongdong-eup, Republic of Korea
    Keiko Tanaka-Yamamoto, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Bongdong-eup, Republic of Korea

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