Coordination Impairments: Cerebellar Pathology

Question 1

What is the most common term associated with motor impairments in patients with a Cerebellar Pathology

Answer 1

Ataxia; Loss of muscle coordination

• Affects gait, posture and difficulties initiating movements

Question 2

Deficits associated with lesion to the Midline: Vermis, Paleocerebellum; Spinocerebellum

Answer 2

Titubation; Tremor of The Head
Truncal Ataxia
Gait imbalance

Question 3

Deficits associated with lesion to the Hemispheres: Neocerebellum; Cerebrocerebellum

Answer 3

Neocerebellum: Right controls Right side of body, Left control left side of body; Ipsilateral control

Contribute to Limb Ataxia:
- Dysdiadochokinesia
- Dysmetria
- Kinetic/Intention Tremor

Dysarthria and Hypotonia

Question 4

Deficits associated with lesion to the Posterior: Flocculonodular; Archicerebellum; Vestibulocerebellum

Answer 4

Influences posture and gait (Along with Paleocerebellum; Vermis)

Causes eye movement disorder:
- Nystagmus
- VOR disruption

“Flocculo” (Ocular), Nodular (Shits a Node)

Archi- Cuz she is an Arch

Question 5

How is motor learning affected?

Answer 5

Cerebellum responsible for generating corrective signals to reduce errors during voluntary movement (feedforward control)

Leading to motor learning and coordination deficits

Question 6

What is Asthenia?

Answer 6

Generalized muscle weakness associated with cerebellar lesion

Question 7

Dysarthria

Answer 7

Disorder of the motor component of speech

• slow and may be slurred
• melodic quality altered

(Associated with insult to the Neocerebellum; Hemispheres)

Question 8

Dysdiadochokinesia

Answer 8

Impaired ability to perform rapid alternating movement

• alternating between forearm supination/pronation

(Associated with insult to the Neocerebellum; Hemispheres)

Question 9

Dysmetria

Answer 9

Inability to judge distance or range of movement

Overestimation/Overshooting (hypermetria)
Underestimation/Undershooting (hypometria)

(Associated with insult to the Neocerebellum; Hemispheres)

Question 10

Dyssynergia

Answer 10

Movement Decomposition

• Movement is performed in a sequence of components rather than as a single, smooth activity

Question 11

Asynergia

Answer 11

Loss of ability to associate muscles together for complex movements

Question 12

Gait ataxia

Answer 12

Broad base of support

Upright stance stability is poor, with arms up (high guard)

Stepping patterns are irregular

(Associated with insult to the Paleocerebellum; Vermis with influence from Archicerebellum; Flocculonodular Lobe)

Question 13

Hypotonia

Answer 13

Decrease in Muscle Tone

(associated with insult to the Neocerebellum; Hemispheres)

Question 14

Nystagmus

Answer 14

Rhythmic, quick, oscillatory back-and-fourth movement of the eyes

(Associated with insult to the Archicerebellum; Flocculonodular Lobe)

Question 15

Intention aka Kinetic Tremor

Answer 15

Occurs during voluntary movement

-Tends to increase as patient nears intended goal or when speed is increased

Question 16

Titubation

Answer 16

Rhythmix oscillatory movements of head (side-to-side-and backward movement)

(Associated with insult to the Paleocerebellum; Vermis)