# Causal Role of Cortico-Cerebellar Networks in Working Memory

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2022 · $70,082

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Working memory (WM) enables the short-term maintenance of mental representations in support of
ongoing cognitive operations and is thought to underlie optimal cognitive performance across a wide range of
contexts. Achieving a better understanding of the psychological and neural mechanisms of WM can provide
valuable insight into one of the primary determinants of both cognitive success and failure. A substantial body
of literature has sought to reveal the specific brain structures and mechanisms that support WM. To date, this
literature has predominantly focused on the contributions of a limited set of fronto-parietal cortical areas.
Recent work, however, additionally implicates portions of the cerebellum in WM processes. Yet, there remain
substantial gaps in our understanding of the precise role that the cerebellum plays in WM. As prior work has
primarily used correlational measurement techniques to argue for cerebellar contributions to WM, the question
of whether the cerebellum is actually necessary for the maintenance of information in WM remains
unanswered. The goal of the proposed research is to investigate the causal role of the cerebellum in WM using
a combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and
computational modeling of behavior. In Aim 1, participants will receive TMS to disrupt activity in regions of
interest in cerebellum, parietal cortex, and frontal cortex in independent sessions just prior to the performance
of a task that requires precise recall of presented spatial locations. We will then examine the effect of this
disruption on parameters derived from a computational model that index distinct aspects of WM, such as the
fidelity of memory or the probability that an item is successfully encoded. In Aim 2, we will combine TMS with
fMRI to examine the causal influence of cerebellar and cortical areas on neural markers of WM storage
throughout the brain. Specifically, we will use a Bayesian generative model to decode the location stored in
memory, as well as the uncertainty with which that location is encoded. The proposed experiments will enable
the dissociation of the relative roles of cerebellar and cortical areas in WM task performance, thus providing a
more nuanced understanding of the neural underpinnings of WM. A more complete characterization of the WM
system has the potential to inform the development of therapies aimed at treating a broad range of clinical
conditions for which WM dysfunction is a primary symptom.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10375394
- **Project number:** 5F32MH124268-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** James Ashe Brissenden
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $70,082
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-03-01 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10375394

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10375394, Causal Role of Cortico-Cerebellar Networks in Working Memory (5F32MH124268-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10375394. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*