Investigation of Cerebellar Involvement in Cognitive Sequencing
Johns Hopkins University
Summary
Although there is increasing recognition that the cerebellum is involved in cognition as well as motor function, the manner in which the cerebellum contributes to cognition is uncertain. One theory that might account for both motor and cognitive contributions of the cerebellum is that the cerebellum is involved in sequencing of relevant events or stimuli. Previous experiments have suggested that disruption of the cerebellum impairs the prediction of the next event in a sequence. The present experiment will examine the impact of cerebellar stimulation on brain activation during the performance of both sequence-demanding and non-sequence-demanding tasks.
Description
Although there is increasing recognition that the cerebellum, which contains half of the brain's neurons, is involved in cognition as well as motor function, the manner in which the cerebellum contributes to cognition is uncertain. The uniform circuitry of the cerebellum and the extensive connectivity of the cerebellum with numerous neocortical regions has suggested to some researchers that there is a common computation that the cerebellum performs for both motor and cognitive functions. The cerebellar sequencing hypothesis posits that the cerebellum acquires sequence information, makes sequen…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–50 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * 1\) Age 18-50; * 2\) educational attainment of at least 8 years; * 3\) capable of giving informed consent; * 4\) fluent speaker of English by self-report; * 5\) right handed. Exclusion Criteria: * 1\) illicit drug use within 30 days of MRI scanning; * 2\) neurological or systemic disorder which can cause dementia or cognitive dysfunction; * 3\) history of an Axis I psychiatric disorder including substance use disorder; * 4\) history of definite stroke; * 5\) focal lesion on MRI exam; * 6\) uncorrected visual deficits by self-report * 7\) contraindications for MRI scann…
Interventions
- ProcedureTMS during sequence-demanding task
TMS is administered during the execution of sequence-demanding task. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe and non-invasive technique for transiently modulating brain activity
- ProcedureNo TMS during sequence-demanding task
TMS is not administered during the execution of sequence-demanding task.
- ProcedureTMS during non-sequence-demanding task
TMS is administered during the execution of non-sequence-demanding task. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe and non-invasive technique for transiently modulating brain activity
- ProcedureNo TMS during non-sequence-demanding task
TMS is not administered during the execution of non-sequence-demanding task
Location
- Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimore, Maryland