Movement mechanics

With their spectacular ramifications, Purkinje cells are among the most complex neurons in the brain.
Located in the cerebellum, they are the great organizers of movement: they coordinate our gestures, refine our precision, and participate in sensorimotor learning.

Their innumerable dendrites receive signals from thousands of synapses, which they integrate to transmit, via a single axon, a precise message to the nuclei of the cerebellum.

These are true engine computing centers, sculpted to sort, filter and synchronize information.

Studying their structure and function helps us to better understand disorders such as cerebellar ataxia, certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Machado-Joseph disease, and developmental motor and cognitive deficits.

In this image, each Purkinje branch is a vector of our balance, our fluidity, and our ability to learn to move.