This article is reprinted from the publicaccount: Brain and Cognitive Science of Beijing Normal University
Although the cerebellum is small in size, its expanded surface area is equivalent to 80% of the cerebral cortex, containing more neurons than any other brain nucleus. The cognitive functions of the cerebellum have been a significant focus in cognitive neuroscience research. Many studies have shown that the cerebellum acts as the central hub for motor control, primarily responsible for the coordination, stability, and automation of movements. However, recent studies indicate that the cognitive functions of the cerebellum are not limited to motor control; thus, an increasing number of studies are beginning to explore the role of the cerebellum in higher cognitive functions, the neural activity patterns involved in these functions, and the connectivity patterns between the brain and the cerebellum along with their plastic changes.
The research team led by Guo Taomei at the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning at Beijing Normal University published a paper titled “The cerebellum and cognition: further evidence for its role in language control” in Cerebral Cortex in February 2022. This study is the first to comprehensively utilize functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to reveal the relationship between the cerebellum and higher cognitive functions through the lens of bilingual language processing.
In Experiment 1, researchers instructed bilingual participants to complete a language switching task while simultaneously scanning their brain activity with fMRI. The language switching task required participants to name images based on the color of their borders, with changing border colors prompting bilinguals to switch between two languages, thereby maximizing their language control capabilities. The results showed that the bilateral cerebellar regions VI and VIII were significantly activated during language control (Figure 1). The study further employed an extended unified structural equation modeling (euSEM) approach to model the current activated cerebellar regions and previously identified brain regions associated with language control as nodes, establishing a brain-cerebellum network (Figure 2). The brain-cerebellum network centered around the dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus/anterior supplementary motor area and the left cerebellar region VI, yielding three modules: intra-brain connectivity, intra-cerebellar connectivity, and brain-cerebellum connectivity.
Figure 1 Activation Patterns of the Cerebellum
Figure 2 Brain–Cerebellum Network
Further analysis using specification curve analysis revealed significant correlations between multiple intra-cerebellar connections and the participants’ behavioral responses (switching costs) (Figure 3), reflecting the differences in activity across various cerebellar subdivisions and their connections during the language control process.
Figure 3 Results of Specification Curve Analysis
Building on Experiment 1, Experiment 2 required participants to complete the language switching task in both pre- and post-tests, during which the participants’ cerebellum received tDCS (Figure 4). The results indicated that applying anodal direct current stimulation to the right cerebellum significantly improved their language control performance (reduced switching costs), and the extent of behavioral improvement was significantly positively correlated with their second language proficiency (Level 4 scores) (Figure 5).
Figure 4 Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Experimental Procedure
Figure 5 Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Experimental Results
These results suggest that both sides of the cerebellum are jointly involved in the language control of bilinguals, with a left-side advantage in terms of connectivity with the brain, indicating a more integrated relationship between the left cerebellum and the brain-cerebellum control network. Furthermore, the study also identified differences in neural plasticity between the bilateral cerebellum, suggesting that the right dorsolateral cerebellum may be more directly involved in the language production process, thereby eliciting more immediate behavioral changes from localized electrical stimulation.
In recent years, Guo Taomei’s research team has conducted a series of studies (Yuan et al., 2021a, 2021b, Zhang et al., 2021, Wu et al., 2021, Chen et al., 2020, Wu et al., 2020, 2019) utilizing fMRI technology and event-related potential techniques to reveal the brain networks involved in language control during language production in bilinguals and their plasticity. This research, building on previous studies by the team, employs both fMRI and tDCS technology to detail the cerebellum’s significant role in the international bilingual research field and proposes an analytical framework for future exploration of the cerebellum’s involvement in higher cognitive functions. Future studies could further explore the role of the cerebellum in other cognitive functions from the perspectives of (lateralized) activation patterns, brain-cerebellum networks, their relationships with behavior, and the neural plasticity changes brought about by training/neural modulation/brain injury.
The first author of the article is Yuan Qiming, a master’s student from Guo Taomei’s research team (2019 cohort), with collaborators including Dr. Li Hehui from the Shenzhen University Brain Disease and Cognitive Science Research Center, Professor Du Boqi from the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning at Beijing Normal University, and master’s students from Guo Taomei’s team: Dang Qianpu (2020 cohort), Chang Qianwen (2021 cohort), Zhang Zhaoqi (2021 graduate), Zhang Man (2019 cohort), Professor Ding Guosheng, and Professor Lu Chunming. The corresponding author is Professor Guo Taomei. This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation, the Central University Basic Scientific Research Business Fee Special Fund, and the Interdisciplinary Construction Project Fund of Beijing Normal University.
Yuan, Q., Li, H., Du, B., Dang, Q., Chang, Q., Zhang, Z., Zhang, M., Ding, G., Lu, C., & Guo, T. (2022). The cerebellum and cognition: further evidence for its role in language control. Cerebral Cortex. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhac051
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