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Development of Physiological Activity in the Cerebellum

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Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders
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Abstract

One remarkable aspect of cerebellar development is that intrinsic physiological activity of several neuronal cell types, including Purkinje cells, can be observed throughout a large portion of the developmental window. Although ion channels primarily drive this intrinsic activity, it can also be influenced by other cellular properties and inputs, including synaptic and neuromodulatory inputs, calcium buffers, and others. Many of the factors that drive or influence intrinsic activity are expressed in a tightly regulated manner during the development of the cerebellum. Here, we review how the ion channels, calcium buffers, synapses, and neuromodulators that are differentially expressed during development give rise to activity patterns with unique regulatory properties, which may serve important roles in sculpting the developing cerebellum. We also review recent lines of evidence that suggest changes in synaptic and intrinsic activity may be common developmental changes contributing to the pathophysiology of not only cerebellar ataxias but also neurodevelopmental diseases such as autism spectrum disorders. Finally, we posit that these findings support a hypothesis for an important role for early physiological activity in the formation of the cerebellum and that alterations in this activity can lead to pathology.

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Correspondence to Alanna J. Watt .

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© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

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Jayabal, S., Watt, A.J. (2022). Development of Physiological Activity in the Cerebellum. In: Manto, M.U., Gruol, D.L., Schmahmann, J.D., Koibuchi, N., Sillitoe, R.V. (eds) Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23810-0_111

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