Abstract

PHYSIOLOGICAL BASES OF ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING IN MAMMALS. . rev.latinoam.psicol. [online]. 2007, vol.39, n.1, pp.15-30. ISSN 0120-0534.

Classical conditioning of the corneal reflex is an useful model for the study of learning and memory processes. Our research group has studied the kinematics of reflex, voluntary, emotional and learned eyelid responses, as well as the physiology of facial motoneurons innervating the orbicularis oculi muscle; i.e., the muscle responsible for those eyelid movements. Facial motoneurons encode eyelid velocity during reflex lid responses, but eyelid position during learned lid responses. This unctional difference reveals a selective processing (and/or origin) of both motor commands. Both the paravermal cerebelar cortex and the posterior interpositus nucleus are related to reflex and acquired eyelid responses, contributing to its proper performance, but not to its acquisition. At the same time, the hippocampus participates in the determination of the predictive value of the conditioned stimulus, when using classical conditioning procedures.

Keywords : cerebellum; hippocampus; classic conditioning; eyelid; mammals.

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