Biological motions commonly contain multiple frequency components in which each fundamental has to be adjusted by motor learning to acquire a new motor skill or maintain acquired skills. At times during this motor performance one frequency component needs to be enhanced (gain-up) while another is suppressed (gain-down). This pattern of simultaneous gain-up and -down adjustments at different frequencies is called frequency competitive motor learning. Currently we investigated cerebellar roles in this behavior utilizing the goldfish vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). Previously, VOR motor learning was shown in primates to be frequency selective and exhibit frequency competitive motor learning. Here we demonstrate that the goldfish VOR performs frequency competitive motor learning when high and low frequency components are trained to gain-up and gain-down, respectively. However, when the two frequency components were trained in the opposite directions only gain-up component was observed. We also found that cerebellectomy precluded any frequency competitive VOR motor learning. Complementary single unit recordings from vestibulo-cerebellar Purkinje cells revealed changes in firing modulation along with gain-down learning, but not with gain-up learning irrespective of frequency. These results demonstrate that the cerebellum is required for all frequency competitive VOR motor learning and Purkinje cell activity therein is well correlated with all gain-down behaviors independent of frequency. However, frequency competitive gain-up learning requires intact, recursive brainstem/cerebellar pathways. Collectively these findings support the idea that VOR gain-up and gain-down learning utilize separate brainstem/cerebellar circuitry that, in turn, clearly underlies the unique ability of the oculomotor system to deal with multiple frequency components.

生物运动通常包含多个频率成分，其中每个基本要素都必须通过运动学习进行调整，以获取新的运动技能或保持获得的技能。有时在此电机性能期间，需要增强一个频率分量（增益），而抑制另一个频率分量（增益）。这种在不同频率上同时进行上下调整的模式称为频率竞争性运动学习。目前，我们利用金鱼前庭眼反射（VOR）研究了小脑在这种行为中的作用。以前，VOR运动学习在灵长类动物中表现为具有频率选择性，并具有频率竞争性运动学习。在这里，我们证明了金鱼VOR在训练高频和低频分量分别进行增益和增益降低时执行频率竞争性运动学习。但是，当两个频率分量沿相反方向训练时，只能观察到增益分量。我们还发现，小脑切除术排除了任何频率竞争性VOR运动学习。来自前庭小脑浦肯野细胞的互补单单位记录显示，发射调制的变化与增益下降学习一起发生，但与增益学习无关，而与频率无关。这些结果表明，小脑是所有频率竞争性VOR运动学习所必需的，并且其中的Purkinje细胞活性与所有独立于频率的增益下降行为密切相关。然而，频率竞争性增益学习需要完整的递归脑干/小脑通路。总的来说，这些发现支持以下观点：VOR增益学习和增益学习利用单独的脑干/小脑电路，这显然是动眼系统处理多个频率分量的独特能力的基础。