Sensorimotor learning in three cerebellar mutant mice.

Cerebellar damage occurs during developmental stages in three mutant mice (staggerer, hot-foot, and lurcher), causing disturbances in posture and equilibrium. During three tests of motor coordination, the performances of staggerer mutants was inferior to that of normal mice and did not improve with extended practice for up to 7 days of training. The sensorimotor performance of hot-foot mutants and of lurcher mutants was also lower than that of normal mice. Nevertheless, hot-foot mutants showed evidence of learning in two of the three tests and lurcher mutants in all three tests. Cerebellar atrophy in the latter two mutants did not prevent sensorimotor learning, but instead impaired their ability to reach the same level of performance as that of normal mice.