The Cerebellum

Lies at the bottom of the brain Densely neuronal - 10% of the brain, 50% of the neurons Continues to develop up to age 15-20 Highly regular cell structure (less variation unlike the cerebrum) - suggests cerebellum performs the same function on different inputs it receives

Cerebellar lobes (GM)

Anterior, Posterior, Floccularnodular Fissures divide into Vermis, Intermediate and Lateral

Deep Nuclei Dentate

Fastigial, Interposed (globose and emboliform) and

Situated in Posterior Fossa, separated from Brainstem via Aqueduct of Sylvius. Cerebellar Peduncles connect Cerebellum to Brainstem Superior Midbrain Main Efferents from cerebellum (i.e. from nuclei) Some afferent from proprioceptive in body (ventrospinocerebellar tract)

Middle Inferior

Pons Medulla

Mostly afferent. Copy of Pyramidal tract info to LMNs. Connects to vestibular and reticular of Pons/Medulla Afferent from proprioceptive in upper body (dorsospinocerebellar tract)

Cerebellum has NO direct connections to LMNs. Connects to UMNs first Compares intended movement (motor cortex) with actual movement (sensory receptors) Acts on descending motor pathways from cortex and brainstem to affect movement and posture ipsilaterally Damage No weakness. No sensory loss. Disrupts co-ordination of limbs and eyes, speech, impairs balance, and decreases motor tone

Functional Anatomy Shallow furrows divide cerebellum into functional units Vermis, intermediate and lateral cerebellar hemispheres Flocculonodular also a functional unit

Vestibulocerebellum Flocculonodular lobe Visual info from cortex and superior colliculus Vestibular info from vestibular nuclei, semicircular canals and otoliths Controls eye movements and body position equilibrium Lesion: Disturbed posture, gait, nystagmus

Spinocerebellum

Vermis + Intermediate Hemispheres

Somatosensory input (spinocerebellar) also visual, auditory and vestibular Outputs to fastigial and interposed nuclei. These output to: Medial Descending System (Axial muscles), Lateral Descending System (distal muscles) and to cerebral cortex via Thalamus. Feed-forward control of posture

Cerebrocerebellum Lat. Hemispheres and Dentate Nuc. Corticopontine inputs (i.e. from cortex) Output via Dentate Nuc. to Thalamus and then to motor cortices Possible functions: planning multi-joint movements? Evaluating sensory info? Cognitive functions?

Summary

Balance and eye movements (spinocerebellum), adjustment of ongoing body movements (spinocerebellum contains two complete copies of body map), muscle tone (spinocerebellum), planning of limb movements (cerebrocerebellum), motor learning e.g. vestibule-ocular reflex (vestibulocerebellum)

Learning

Motor, storage of motor learning (i.e. memory) and non-motor Evidence: Lesions produce cognitive deficits, activation on learning motor/non-motor tasks, connections to frontal cortex Cognition: Set-shifting (flexibility in learning/re-learning), processing music and language.

Cytoarchitecture

Climbing fibres are afferent input from Inferior Olivary Nucleus (Medulla) Mossy fibres also provide afferent input (vestibulo/spino/cerebrocerebellum) Purkinje cells (output to deep nuclei of cerebellum) receive small input from climbing fibres (~20) and large input from the granule cells (~200,000) that synapse with mossy fibres. Excitation and lateral inhibition focuses the Purkinje cell response. Role in Learning Primate studies required to maintain position of lifted load, climbing fibres increased firing and depressed mossy fibres. Once task learned climbing fibres returned to normal rate, mossy fibres remained depressed (Long Term Depresssion)

Cerebellar Disease

Hypotonia, disturbed balance/posture, ataxia, dysarthia, nystagmus