How the cerebellum helps thinking, emotion, and attention
Human Cerebellar Function in Multiple Task Domains
Researchers are looking at how the cerebellum supports thinking, attention, and emotions in people with and without cerebellar problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11377035 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will use brain imaging and carefully designed thinking and behavior tasks to see how your cerebellum responds during different mental activities. They will compare people who have cerebellar disorders with healthy volunteers to identify patterns linked to memory, attention, and emotion. The team is testing a new idea that the cerebellum helps transform internal mental representations continuously as we think and act. Results will be used to build a clearer, mechanistic picture of how cerebellar changes relate to everyday cognitive and emotional symptoms.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with diagnosed cerebellar disorders or people who experience cognitive, attentional, or emotional symptoms possibly linked to the cerebellum, as well as healthy volunteers for comparison, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment or symptom relief or those whose conditions are unrelated to cerebellar function are unlikely to receive direct medical benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of cerebellar contributions to cognition could eventually lead to improved diagnosis and targeted therapies for cognitive and emotional problems linked to cerebellar disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous brain-imaging and patient studies have shown the cerebellum is involved in thinking and emotion, but applying this specific mechanistic hypothesis is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, United States
- University of California Berkeley — Berkeley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ivry, Richard — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Ivry, Richard
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.