Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Cerebellum. 2022 Aug;21(4):715-730. doi: 10.1007/s12311-021-01310-2. Epub 2021 Aug 17.
The first attempts at using electric stimulation to study human brain functions followed the experiments of Luigi Galvani and Giovanni Aldini on animal electricity during the eighteenth century. Since then, the cerebellum has been among the areas that have been studied by invasive and non-invasive forms of electrical and magnetic stimulation. During the nineteenth century, animal experiments were conducted to map the motor-related regions of cerebellar cortex by means of direct electric stimulation. As electric stimulation research on the cerebellum moved into the twentieth century, systematic research of electric cerebellar stimulation led to a better understanding of its effects and mechanism of action. In addition, the clinical potential of cerebellar stimulation in the treatment of motor diseases started to be explored. With the introduction of transcranial electric and magnetic stimulation, cerebellar research moved to non-invasive techniques. During the twenty-first century, following on groundbreaking research that linked the cerebellum to non-motor functions, non-invasive techniques have facilitated research into different aspects of cerebellar functioning. The present review provides a brief historical account of cerebellar neurostimulation and discusses current challenges and future direction in this field of research.
十八世纪 Luigi Galvani 和 Giovanni Aldini 对动物电的实验之后，人们首次尝试利用电刺激来研究人类大脑功能。从那时起，小脑就是通过电刺激和磁刺激的侵入性和非侵入性方式进行研究的区域之一。在 19 世纪，人们通过直接电刺激对小脑皮层进行了与运动相关的区域的动物实验。当对小脑的电刺激研究进入 20 世纪时，对电小脑刺激的系统研究加深了对其作用和作用机制的理解。此外，小脑刺激在治疗运动疾病方面的临床潜力也开始得到探索。随着经颅电刺激和磁刺激的引入，小脑研究转向了非侵入性技术。在 21 世纪，在将小脑与非运动功能联系起来的开创性研究之后，非侵入性技术促进了对小脑功能不同方面的研究。本综述简要回顾了小脑神经刺激的历史，并讨论了该研究领域当前的挑战和未来方向。
