Abstract
Complex motor skill learning, but not mere motor activity, leads to
an increase in synapse number within the cerebellar cortex. The present
experiment used quantitative electron microscopy to determine which
synapse types were altered in number. Adult female rats were allocated
to either an acrobatic condition (AC), a voluntary exercise condition
(VX), or an inactive condition (IC). AC animals were trained to traverse
an elevated obstacle course requiring substantial motor coordination
to complete. VX animals were housed with unlimited access to running
wheels and IC animals received no motor training but were handled
briefly each day. Results showed the AC animals to have significantly
more parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synapses than both the VX and
IC animals. No other synapse type was significantly altered. Thus,
the learning-dependent increase in synapse number observed within
the cerebellar cortex is accomplished primarily through the addition
of parallel fiber synapses.
- analysis
- cells,purkinje
- cells:
- classification,synapses:
- cortex,cerebellar
- cortex:
- of
- physiology
- physiology,cerebellar
- physiology,microscopy,motor
- physiology,neuronal
- physiology,neurons,neurons:
- plasticity,neuronal
- plasticity:
- skills,motor
- skills:
- transmission,synaptic
- transmission:
- ultrastructure,electron,female,learning,learning:
- ultrastructure,purkinje
- ultrastructure,rats,synapses,synapses:
- ultrastructure,synaptic
- variance,animals,cerebellar
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