ABSTRACT
Different forms or aspects of memory critically involve different neural systems and structures in the brain. In single-unit studies, described several populations of units in the anterior interpositus: One population responded to a tone conditioned stimulus (CS) onset, another population to corneal air-puff unconditioned stimulus (US) onset, others responded to both CS and US onsets, and another population responded in relation to the behavioral response. One of the advantages of classical conditioning for neurobiological analysis is that performance of the behavioral response per se can be measured independently of the performance of the learned response. The anterior interpositus nucleus is, thus, completely necessary for both learning and memory of the classically conditioned eye-blink and other discrete responses, and the necessary CR pathway appears to be entirely limited to the interpositus nucleus, the magnocellular red nucleus, and the premotor and motor nuclei.
