A cerebellar internal model calibrates a feedback controller involved in sensorimotor control

Abstract

Animals must adapt their behavior to survive in a changing environment. Behavioral adaptations can be evoked by two mechanisms: feedback control and internal-model-based control. Feedback controllers can maintain the sensory state of the animal at a desired level under different environmental conditions. In turn, internal models learn the relationship between behavior and resulting sensory consequences in order to modify the behavior when this relationship changes. Here, we present multiple perturbations in visual feedback to larval zebrafish performing the optomotor response and show that they react to these perturbations through a feedback control mechanism. In contrast, if a perturbation is long-lasting, fish adapt their behavior by updating a cerebellum-dependent internal model. We use modelling and functional imaging to show that neuronal requirements for these mechanisms are met in the larval zebrafish brain. Our results illustrate the role of the cerebellum in encoding internal models and how these can calibrate neuronal circuits involved in reactive behaviors depending on the interactions between animal and environment. HighlightsO_LIBehavioral reactions to unexpected changes in visual feedback are implemented by a feedback control mechanism C_LIO_LIA long-lasting change in visual feedback updates the state of the neuronal controller C_LIO_LIThe cerebellar internal model mediates this recalibration C_LI