Duality of cerebellar motor and cognitive functions

Abstract

This chapter develops a specific perspective regarding the interrelationship of the cerebellum, motor behaviors, and cognitive processes. The advent of the proposals regarding the cerebellum and cognition has challenged many investigators to examine this issue aggressively and to address the extent to which current concepts, definitions, and experimental approaches are adequate for deriving new insights into the interfaces between the domains of motor execution and adaptive modifications in behavior. This chapter contends that the dichotomy often made between motor processes and cognitive processes is inconsistent with the organization of behaviors in general and that, when a broader, more integrative view is adopted, a role of the cerebellum in "cognitive" processes is not only expected but also necessary given this structure's contribution to motor coordination and behavioral adaptations.