January 2026

What did you do using Gorilla and what did you find?

We conducted a series of controlled behavioral experiments comparing individuals with cerebellar ataxia to matched neurotypical controls. Participants completed multiple cognitive tasks designed to systematically manipulate violation of expectation, while controlling for task difficulty and uncertainty. Reaction times and accuracy were analyzed to isolate the cognitive mechanisms affected by cerebellar dysfunction.

Has this study been published?

Yes. The study was published in eLife in 2025.

What was the research problem you were trying to study?

The research aimed to address a key gap in understanding the cognitive role of the cerebellum. While the cerebellum is well known for its role in motor control, its contribution to higher-level cognitive processes remains a topic of debate. Specifically, we investigated whether the cerebellum plays a domain-general role in processing violations of expectation in cognition, analogous to its established role in motor prediction and error processing.

How did you structure your experimental design in Gorilla?

The experiments were implemented online using Gorilla with a between-groups design. Participants were divided into a cerebellar ataxia group and a control group. Tasks were structured to include expected and unexpected conditions within participants, allowing direct comparison of performance under expectation violation. Gorilla enabled precise control over task flow, randomization, and timing across multiple experiments and participant groups.

What were your concerns about taking you research online?

Our primary concerns involved experimental control, timing precision, and participant engagement in a remote setting. Gorilla addressed these concerns by offering reliable timing, flexible task design, and robust data collection tools. The platform enabled us to conduct complex cognitive experiments online without compromising methodological rigor, while also providing access to a wider and more diverse participant pool.

What is the biggest advantage of online research methods?

The biggest advantage is the ability to efficiently recruit diverse participant populations and run well-controlled experiments at scale. Online methods allow researchers to conduct sophisticated cognitive studies that would otherwise be difficult or time-consuming to implement in traditional lab settings.

What real-world problem do you see that your research could impact?

This research advances understanding of cognitive difficulties experienced by individuals with cerebellar disorders and may inform clinical assessment and rehabilitation strategies. More broadly, identifying a general mechanism for expectation processing has implications for understanding learning, prediction, and adaptive behavior in both health and disease, including neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions.

How did Gorilla make your life or research better, easier or faster?

Gorilla significantly reduced the technical and logistical burden of building and deploying complex experiments. Its intuitive interface, combined with precise control over task structure and timing, allowed us to focus on theoretical and methodological questions rather than software implementation. This greatly accelerated data collection and iteration across multiple experiments.

Would you recommend Gorilla to others?

Yes. Gorilla is a powerful and flexible platform for cognitive and behavioral research, particularly for studies requiring precise experimental control. It enables researchers to efficiently translate laboratory paradigms into an online environment while maintaining high data quality.

What were the main findings of your study?

Across several cognitive domains, individuals with cerebellar ataxia showed a selective impairment in processing violations of expectation. Specifically, they exhibited disproportionate slowing in reaction times when expectations were violated, while performance under expected conditions and general task complexity remained intact. These findings support the notion that the cerebellum plays a role in higher cognition.

Was this research part of a collaboration?

Yes. The research was conducted as a collaboration between researchers at CAN Lab, Tel Aviv University, and Bar-Ilan University, combining expertise in cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, and experimental design.