Timing of delay but not of trace conditioned eyeblink responses is impaired in patients with cerebellar lesions

Introduction: Superior parts of the cerebellum have been shown to be critically involved in delay as well as trace eyeblink conditioning in animals and humans. The cerebellar function in associative motor learning has been related to acquisition, but also appropriate timing of conditioned responses (CRs) (1). Methods: In the present study timing and incidences of CRs were investigated using a standard delay paradigm (a 540 ms tone-CS coterminating with a 100 ms air-puff-US) in a total of 43 cerebellar patients, 16 patients with pure cortical cerebellar degeneration (spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, and idiopathic…