The nictitating membranes of six rabbits were classically conditioned using a pontine-nucleus-stimulation conditioned stimulus with an air-puff unconditioned stimulus and a tone conditioned stimulus with an air-puff unconditioned stimulus. Multiple-unit neuronal activity in the cerebellar interpositus nucleus was monitored during the stimulation and tone training. Significant increases in the number of learned responses as well as increases in conditioning-related neuronal activity in the interpositus were observed during stimulation training. The number of conditioned nictitating-membrane responses and level of learning-related neuronal activity remained high during subsequent tone training. These data show that the cerebellum is activated in a similar manner when pontine stimulation or peripheral tones are used as a conditioned stimulus during classical nictitating-membrane conditioning.
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