Laboratories
Laboratory for Motor Learning Control
Soichi NAGAO
Laboratory Head
Soichi NAGAO
(M.D., Ph.D.)
mail

Research Areas

Practice makes perfect. No one can perform complex motor behavior well without learning by repetition of training. We have examined the role of the cerebellum and long-term depression (LTD) of parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapse in motor learning. We have revealed that 1) The memory trace for short-term (several hours) of motor learning is formed in the cerebellar cortex by LTD. 2) The memory trace of motor learning is later transferred from the cerebellar cortex to the cerebellar (vestibular) nuclei that the cerebellar cortex send its outputs. 3). The cerebellar cortex plays an important role in the transfer of memory trace. We are now investigating the neural mechanisms underlying the transfer of memory trace of motor learning. We also examine how the memory of motor learning is utilized in the control of voluntary movement in primate.

Research Subject

  1. Neural Mechanism underrlying the long-term motor memory
  2. Molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of long-term motor memory
  3. Role of cerebellar hemisphere in voluntary eye movement control

Related links

  1. RIKEN Brain Science Institute Website_Laboratories PageNew Window
  2. Individual Website Laboratory PageNew Window

Press release

June 15, 2011
A better way to remember
Memories are more likely to stick if learning includes regular periods of rest. Now researchers think they know why

RIKEN RESEARCH

October 07, 2011
Pausing to make memories
Adding breaks to a training regimen gives rodents an edge in learning new motor skills and provides an improved model for studying memoryNew Window

List of Selected Publications

  1. Okamoto T, Endoh S, Shirao T, Nagao S.:
    "Cerebellar cortical protein synthesis-dependent transfer of memory trace underlies the spacing effect in motor learning."
    J Neurosci 31:8958-8966, (2011).
  2. Okamoto T, ShiraoT, Shutoh F, Suzuki T, Nagao S.:
    "Post-training cerebellar cortical activity plays an important role for consolidation of memory of cerebellum-dependent motor learning"
    Neurosci Lett 504: 53-56, (2011).
  3. Honda T, Yamazaki T, Tanaka S, Nagao S, Nishino T.:
    "Stimulus-dependent state transition between synchronized oscillation and randomly repetitive burst in a spiking model of the cerebellar granular layer."
    PLoS Comput Biol 7:e1002087, (2011).
  4. Dinh Le T, Shirai Y, Okamoto T, Tatsukawa T, Nagao S, Shimizu T, Ito M.:
    "Lipid signaling in cytosolic phopholipase A2α-cyclooxygenae-2 cascade mediates cerebellar long-term depression and motor learning."
    Proc Nat Acad Scii USA 107: 3198-3203 (2010).
  5. Anzai M, Kitazawa H, Nagao S.:
    "Effects of reversible pharmacological shutdown of cerebellar flocculus on the memory of long-term horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex adaptation in monkey."
    Neurosci Res 68, 190-198 (2010)
  6. Endo S, Shutoh F, Tung LD, Okamoto T, Ikeda T, Suzuki M, Kawahara S, Yanagihara D, Yamada K, Kirino Y, Hartell NA, Yamaguchi K, Itohara S, Nairn A, Greengard P, Nagao S, Ito M.:
    "Dual involvement of G-substrate in motor learning revealed by gene deletion."
    Proc Nat Acad Scii USA 106: 3525-3530 (2009).
  7. Ohki M, Kitazawa H, Hiramatsu T, Kaga K, Kitamura T, Yamada J, Nagao S.:
    "Role of primate cerebellar hemisphere in voluntary eye movement control revealed by lesion effects."
    J Neurophysiol 101, 934-947 (2009)
  8. Hiramatsu T, Ohki M, Kitazawa H, Xiong G, Kitamura T, Yamada J, Nagao S.:
    "Role of the cerebellar lobulus petrosus paraflocculus in smooth pursuit eye movement control revealed by chemical lesion."
    Neurosci Res 60, 250-258 (2008)
  9. Sadakata T, Kakegawa A, Mizoguchi A, Washida M, Katoh-Semba R, Shutoh F, Okamoto T, Nakashima H, Kimura K, Tanaka M, Sekine Y, Itohara S, Yuzaki M, Nagao S, Furuichi T.:
    "Impaired cerebellar development and function in mice lacking CAPS2, a protein involved in neurotropin release."
    J Neurosci 27, 2472-82 (2007)
  10. Shutoh, F, Ohki, M, Kitazwa, H, Itohara, S, and Nagao, S.:
    "Memory trace of motor learning shifts transsynaptically from cerebellar cortex to nuclei for consolidation."
    Neuroscience, 139, 767-777 (2006)

Members

Principal Investigator

Soichi NAGAO
Laboratory Head

Members

Kazuhiko YAMAGUCHI
Deputy Laboratory Head
Moritoshi HIRONO
Research Scientist
Yoshiaki TSUNODA
Research Scientist
Takeru HONDA
Visiting Researcher
Moeko KUDO
Technical Staff I
Mari ANZAI
Technical Staff I
Hiromasa KITAZAWA
Visiting Scientist
Yutaka HIRATA
Visiting Scientist
Shogo ENDO
Visiting Scientist
Shigeru TANAKA
Visiting Scientist
Tadashi YAMAZAKI
Visiting Scientist
Emiko TSUBOKAWA
Part-time Staff
Makoto NAKAO
Part-time Staff