The role of the cerebellum for feedback processing
Final Report Abstract
While the cerebellum has traditionally been thought to be merely involved in motor functions, a recent paradigm shift has emphasized cerebellar contributions also to cognitive functions. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been clarified yet. The cerebellum’s uniform neuro-architecture and its closed input-output loops for communication with the cerebral cortex suggest that the cerebellum closely interacts with the cerebrum and may serve overarching functions in the motor and cognitive domain which fit well within a general framework of performance monitoring, prediction and error-based learning. The present research program investigated the role of the cerebellum for error and feedback processing, with particular focus on prediction. Complementary studies with patients with cerebellar damage (due to degeneration or lesions due to stroke), with electrophysiological measurements (electroencephalography, EEG), and non-invasive brain stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS) applied to healthy subjects were performed. In addition, a systematic review on cerebellar involvement in processing of and learning from feedback in humans was conducted. The experimental studies from the present research program show strong, causal evidence for direct involvement of the cerebellum in error and feedback processing. Cerebellar dysfunction due to TMS or cerebellar damage (neurodegeneration or cerebellar stroke) does not lead to substantial behavioral impairment in feedback-based learning or increased error rates, but behavioral flexibility is reduced. Neural indices of error and feedback processing were altered in cerebellar patients relative to controls, and in cerebellar TMS compared to vertex TMS, as evidenced by reduced errorrelated negativity (ERN) and lack of coding of prediction errors (PEs) in the feedback-related negativity (FRN). Taken together, these results point to a crucial role of the cerebellum in prediction, particularly in generation prediction errors in feedback-based learning. The findings thus advance our understanding of cerebellar non-motor functions and may also be clinically relevant, e.g., for understanding and detecting (subtle) impairments in patients with cerebellar damage or disease, and possibly for informing and motivating new therapeutical approaches.
Publications
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The role of the cerebellum for feedback processing. Neurophysiologisches Seminar, Universitätsmedizin Essen
Peterburs, J.
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Situational and inter-individual influences in performance monitoring. Eingeladener Vortrag, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finnland
Peterburs, J.
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The effect of cerebellar TMS on error processing: A combined single-pulse TMS and ERP study. Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research (SPR), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Berlijn, A.M., Huvermann, D., Mittelstaedt, M., Bellebaum, C., Schnitzler, A., Groiss, S.J., Minnerop, M., Timman, D. & Peterburs, J.
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The effect of cerebellar TMS on feedback processing. Jährliches Treffen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurologie, Berlin. Dieses Poster hat einen Posterpreis der „Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurologie“ gewonnen.
Huvermann, D. M., Berlijn, A., Groiss, S., Minnerop M., Bellebaum, C., Timmann, D. & Peterburs, J.
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Reinforcement learning in a cognitive task in patients with chronic cerebellar stroke – an EEG study. Gordons Research Conference on the Cerebellum, Lewiston, Maine, USA
Huvermann, D.M., Berlijn, A.M., Thieme, A., Erdlenbruch, F., Wondzinski, E., Sievers, H., Frank, B., Göricke, S., Gliem, M., Köhrmann, M., Siebler, M., Bellebaum, C., Minnerop, M., Timman, D. & Peterburs, J.
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The effect of cerebellar TMS on cognitive error and feedback processing in a reinforcement learning task. Gordons Research Conference on the Cerebellum, Lewiston, Maine, USA
Huvermann, D.M., Berlijn, A.M., Mittelstaedt, M., Bellebaum, C., Schnitzler, A., Groiss, S.J., Minnerop, M., Timman, D. & Peterburs, J.
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Impaired coding of reward prediction errors in patients with cerebellar degeneration – a study with EEG and voxel-based morphometry. Tagung Psychologie und Gehirn, Hamburg.
Berlijn, A.M., Huvermann, D.M., Bechler, E., Thieme, A., Schnitzler, A., Bellebaum, C., Timman, D., Minnerop, M. & Peterburs, J.
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Insights into the cerebellum’s involvement in error and feedback processing: Evidence from patient studies, neuroimaging, and neuromodulation. Eingeladener Vortrag am Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Peterburs, J.
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Reinforcement learning in a cognitive task in patients with chronic cerebellar stroke – an EEG study. Tagung Psychologie und Gehirn, Hamburg. Dieses Poster hat einen Posterpreis der „Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychophysiologie und ihre Anwendung“ gewonnen.
Huvermann, D.M., Berlijn, A.M., Thieme, A., Erdlenbruch, F., Wondzinski, E., Sievers, H., Frank, B., Göricke, S., Gliem, M., Köhrmann, M., Siebler, M., Bellebaum, C., Minnerop, M., Timman, D. & Peterburs, J.
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The cerebellum contributes to reward prediction error processing – evidence from patients with cerebellar stroke. Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research (SPR), Prag, Tschechien
Huvermann, D.M., Berlijn, A.M., Thieme, A., Erdlenbruch, F., Wondzinski, E., Sievers, H., Frank, B., Göricke, S., Gliem, M., Köhrmann, M., Siebler, M., Bellebaum, C., Minnerop, M., Timman, D. & Peterburs, J.
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The effect of cerebellar TMS on error processing: A combined single-pulse TMS and ERP study. Imaging Neuroscience, 2.
Berlijn, Adam M.; Huvermann, Dana M.; Groiss, Stefan J.; Schnitzler, Alfons; Mittelstaedt, Manfred; Bellebaum, Christian; Timmann, Dagmar; Minnerop, Martina & Peterburs, Jutta
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The Role of the Human Cerebellum for Learning from and Processing of External Feedback in Non-Motor Learning: A Systematic Review. The Cerebellum, 23(4), 1532-1551.
Berlijn, Adam M.; Huvermann, Dana M.; Schneider, Sandra; Bellebaum, Christian; Timmann, Dagmar; Minnerop, Martina & Peterburs, Jutta
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Impaired reinforcement learning and coding of prediction errors in patients with cerebellar degeneration - a study with EEG and voxel-based morphometry. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 25(4), 1126-1146.
Berlijn, Adam M.; Huvermann, Dana M.; Bechler, Eric; Thieme, Andreas; Schnitzler, Alfons; Bellebaum, Christian; Timmann, Dagmar; Minnerop, Martina & Peterburs, Jutta
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The Cerebellum Contributes to Prediction Error Coding in Reinforcement Learning in Humans. The Journal of Neuroscience, 45(19), e1972242025.
Huvermann, Dana M.; Berlijn, Adam M.; Thieme, Andreas; Erdlenbruch, Friedrich; Groiss, Stefan J.; Deistung, Andreas; Mittelstaedt, Manfred; Wondzinski, Elke; Sievers, Heike; Frank, Benedikt; Göricke, Sophia L.; Gliem, Michael; Köhrmann, Martin; Siebler, Mario; Schnitzler, Alfons; Bellebaum, Christian; Minnerop, Martina; Timmann, Dagmar & Peterburs, Jutta
