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Around LTD Hypothesis in Motor Learning

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Abstract

Long-term depression (LTD) at parallel fiber-Purkinje neuron synapses has been regarded as a primary cellular mechanism for motor learning. However, this hypothesis has been challenged. Demonstration of normal motor learning under LTD-suppressed conditions suggested that motor learning can occur without LTD. Synaptic plasticity mechanisms other than LTD have been found at various synapses in the cerebellum. Animals may achieve motor learning using several types of synaptic plasticity in the cerebellum including LTD.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Drs. K. Funabiki, T. Yamazaki, S. Kawaguchi, Y. Tagawa, and H. Tanaka for their constructive comments on the manuscript and Ms. Y. Tanaka for preparation of a figure.

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I declare no conflict of interest.

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  1. Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Tomoo Hirano

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Hirano, T. Around LTD Hypothesis in Motor Learning. Cerebellum 13, 645–650 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-014-0581-4

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