About this Research Topic

Background

The cerebellum is one of the most studied brain regions concerning cellular physiology, circuit, and plasticity of neurons. The well-organized circuits have defined its functionality of motor coordination and motor learning. However, recent motivations and challenges investigating the cerebellar functions and its interaction with other brain regions, such as the midbrain, thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, have opened up a new era of cerebellar research. Current research has found ubiquitous forms of plasticity (e.g., long-term and short-term synaptic plasticity, intrinsic excitability plasticity, refinements of the neural circuit, regulation of the neuronal activity by modulators, etc.) in the circuit. However, many forms of plasticity are not accepted as the basis of learning. And their biological significance in living animals, of health and disease, is not entirely clear. Therefore, we consider a re-investigation into the fundamental roles of cerebellar plasticity is now required.

As such, the Scope of this Research Topic is to build on these foundational perspectives with regard to cerebellar learning and dysfunctions. We welcome contributions that address cerebellar learning and mental illness, and we accept studies addressing psychiatric diseases that involve the cerebellum-including circuits even with molecular and omics mechanisms. We also welcome theoretical approaches giving insights that further our understanding of cerebellum-related learning and psychiatric diseases (e.g., model studies of synaptic and non-synaptic plasticity induction, and intra- and inter-cerebellar circuit).

In this Research Topic, we call on scientists with a pioneering spirit to impart knowledge on cerebellar learning and mental illness. We, therefore, welcome your contributions that target, but are not limited to, the following Topics:

- Various forms of neural plasticity ubiquitously identified in both sites of synapses and the intrinsic excitability of cerebellar neurons: i.e., electrophysiology and imaging studies.
- Glia-neuron interaction (i.e., microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes) for disease models and healthy brains. Involvement of the vasculature system in the cerebellum is also of current interest.
- Studies elucidating the specific molecules involving learning and diseases. Transcriptome and proteome approaches deciphering the cerebellum-related disease models, in which we prefer neurophysiological phenomena are addressed.
- Mechanism of monoamine regulation in learning and diseases in vitro and in vivo.
- Perspectives from theoretical studies (molecular mechanism, neural circuit mechanism, and brain-wide functional connectivity), psychological studies based on behaviors, and human fMRI studies addressing cerebellar function and dysfunction.

We welcome your contributions that generate novel insights that (e.g., original and review studies regarding the plasticity in the cerebellum-related brain-wide circuit for higher-order brain functions such as the timing, measurements, autistic behaviors, and mathematics, as well as motor coordination and motor learning). Your contributions from this Research Topic are expected to provide new and innovative concepts, which would pave the way for a better understanding regarding wide-ranging cerebellum-related higher-order cognitive functions and for medication and alleviation of the mental illness.

Keywords: Cerebellum, Learning, Psychiatric Diseases, Plasticity, Functional Connectivity, Neural Circuit, Microglia, Astrocyte, Monoamine, Action Potential, Synapse, Dendrite, Ion Channels, Plasticity-Related Molecules, Vasculature, Theoretical Models

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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