torekp comments on Free Kindle Textbook: The Cerebellum: Brain for an Implicit Self (FT Press Science) - Less Wrong

4 Post author: buybuydandavis 07 June 2012 02:43AM

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Comment author: torekp 10 June 2012 12:36:55AM 0 points [-]

Interesting that the title seems to contradict a prediction of Giulio Tonini's theory. The following is from Biol. Bull. 215 (2008):

[Integrated information] is low for systems that are made up of small, quasi-independent modules ... This may be why the cerebellum, despite its large number of neurons, does not contribute much to consciousness: its synaptic organization is such that individual patches of cerebellar cortex tend to be activated independently of one another, with little interaction between distant patches.

Comment author: Alex_Altair 10 June 2012 12:41:49AM 0 points [-]

People without cerebellums live fine, except for some motor control issues. It definitely can't be essential for consciousness.

Comment author: [deleted] 11 June 2012 05:25:44PM *  0 points [-]

"Fine" might be a stretch, there are indices that indicate that cerebellum have cognitive functions as well. If you have any particularly source that says otherwise please share.

Comment author: Alex_Altair 11 June 2012 06:56:27PM 0 points [-]

My source is my neuroscience professor, who paid quite a lot of attention to research on the cerebellum. But of course, any published science would override his in-class comments.

Comment author: RichardKennaway 11 June 2012 08:13:10PM 0 points [-]

In Ito's book, one of the last chapters is about cognitive functions in the cerebellum. I've only glanced over it, but see e.g. section 17-6, which begins "Numerous studies have now shown cognitive activity in the cerebellum." Here is a 2009 review article on language and the cerebellum.