Data from: Encoding of locomotion kinematics in the mouse cerebellum

The cerebellum is involved in coordinating motor behaviour, but how the
cerebellar network regulates locomotion is still not well understood. We
characterised the activity of putative cerebellar Purkinje cells, Golgi
cells and mossy fibres in awake mice engaged in an active locomotion task,
using high-density silicon electrode arrays. Analysis of the activity of
over 300 neurons in response to locomotion revealed that the majority of
cells (53%) were significantly modulated by phase of the stepping cycle.
However, in contrast to studies involving passive locomotion on a
treadmill, we found that a high proportion of cells (45%) were tuned to
the speed of locomotion, and 19% were tuned to yaw movements. The activity
of neurons in the cerebellar vermis provided more information about future
speed of locomotion than about past or present speed, suggesting a motor,
rather than purely sensory, role. We were able to accurately decode the
speed of locomotion with a simple linear algorithm, with only a relatively
small number of well-chosen cells needed, irrespective of cell class. Our
observations suggest that behavioural state modulates cerebellar
sensorimotor integration, and advocate a role for the cerebellar vermis in
control of high-level locomotor kinematic parameters such as speed and
yaw.