Activation of climbing fibers

Abstract

Cells in the inferior olive are the sole source of climbing fibers to the cerebellum. In this article, we review some of the discharge properties of olivary cells that are important for understanding its functional role in cerebellar processing. It is generally believed that climbing fiber input supplies the cerebellum with information related to movement errors in order to improve motor performance. As a whole, olivary properties are not consistent with this function. The properties are consistent with the hypothesis that the olive is important for associating arbitrary sensory stimuli with somatosensory events. Although such associations would not be useful for improving the accuracy of motor commands, they may be useful for organizing appropriate behaviors to cope with the predicted event.