Introduction to the special section on new ideas about cerebellar function.

Richard Thompson's seminal contributions to neuroscience include the discovery of the cerebellar interpositus nucleus as the site of essential plasticity in the formation of the conditioned eyeblink response. In this section, context for this body of research is provided, as well as new findings on cerebellar function using a range of procedures. Current work on the role of the cerebellum in learning and memory include studies of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of plasticity in cortex and deep nuclei, as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging studies in humans. Together, these papers provide a glimpse into new directions in the study of cerebellum and cognition. (PsycINFO Database Record