Laboratory for Motor Learning Control

Laboratory Head
Soichi NAGAO
(M.D., Ph.D.)
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.
- Neural Mechanism underrlying the long-term motor memory
- Molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of long-term motor memory
- Role of cerebellar hemisphere in voluntary eye movement control
- 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). - 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). - 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). - 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). - 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) - 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). - 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) - 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) - 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) - 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)
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