Phase-based storage of information in the cerebellum

Recently the importance of both increasing and decreasing synaptic strength of parallel fibers to the cerebellar Purkinje cells has been stressed (Kenyon et al., J. Comput. Neusci. 5 (1998) 17-25, 71-82). This idea resolves some of the paradoxes connected to the old problem of cerebellar learning. A phase-based system for information storage can be proposed to model cerebellar information storage. We describe here the behavior of such a system, when input signals are piece-wise constant, and discuss more general cases qualitatively. The theory gives ideas for experiments, which may yield new light on cerebellar functions and modus operandi. The general formulation of cerebellar functions is also presented in the context of the discussion of its information storage properties. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.