Procedural learning: VOR

Procedural learning is required not only for developing competence in making skilled movements such as playing the piano, but also for calibration of movement accuracy during more simple behaviors such as eye movements and reflexes. The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), which functions to stabilize gaze and ensure clear vision during everyday activities, shows impressive adaptation in response to environmental requirements. Moreover, the relative simplicity of the pathways that mediate the VOR make it an excellent model system for bridging the gap between brain and behavior. This chapter reviews the findings of recent behavioral, single-unit recording and lesion studies of VOR motor learning. These results are then considered in relation to recent experiments that have characterized context-dependent learning in the VOR.