The cholinergic system in the cerebellum: from structure to function

The cerebellar cholinergic system belongs to the third type of afferent nerve fiber system (after the climbing and mossy fibers), and has important modulatory effects on cerebellar circuits and cerebellar-mediated functions. In this report, we review the cerebellar cholinergic system, including cholinergic origins and innervations, acetylcholine receptor expression and distributions, cholinergic modulations of neuronal firing and synaptic plasticity, the cholinergic role in cerebellar-mediated integral functions, and cholinergic changes during development and aging. Because some motor and mental disorders, such as cerebellar ataxia and autism, are accompanied with cerebellar cholinergic disorders, we also discuss the correlations between cerebellar cholinergic dysfunctions and these disorders. The cerebellar cholinergic input plays an important role in the modulation of cerebellar functions; therefore, cholinergic abnormalities could induce physiological dysfunctions.