17 Cerebellum

Question 1

What is the function of the cerebellum? (3).

Answer 1

Production of co-ordinated movement.
Co-ordinates time, force and duration of muscle action.
Involved in maintaining balance and posture.

Question 2

What are the three functional subdivisions of the cerebellum?

Answer 2

Archi/vestibulocerebellum.
Paleo/spinocerebellum.
Neo/cerebrocerebellum.

Question 3

What does the archi/vestibulocerebellum consist of?

Answer 3

Flocculonodular lobe and part of vermis.

Question 4

What does the paleo/spinocerebellum consist of?

Answer 4

Vermis and adjacent region of hemispheres.

Question 5

What does the neo/cerebrocerebellum consist of?

Answer 5

Lateral part of the hemispheres.

Question 6

What does the vestibulocerebellum control?

Answer 6

Co-ordinates balance and constancy of visual fields.

Question 7

What does the spinocerebellum control?

Answer 7

Muscles involved in posture and movement.

Question 8

What does the cerebrocerebellum control?

Answer 8

Movements of distal limbs - particularly the fine movements of the hands.

Question 9

Describe the connections of the vestibulocerebellar lobe:

Answer 9

VIII goes (±vestibular nucleus) through the ICP to the vestibulocerebellum. 
UMN to vestibular nucleus. LMN: III, IV, VI, neck and vestibulospinal tract.

Question 10

Which side of the body does the right side of the cerebellum control?

Answer 10

Right, IPSILATERAL.

Question 11

How does information get to the spinocerebellum?

Answer 11

Spinocerebellar tract carries ipsilateral proprioception information through the ICP.

Question 12

Where does the cerebrocerebellum get information from? (2).

What does this info contain?

Answer 12

Pontine nuclei via MCP.
Inferior olivary nucleus through ICP.
Information about intended movements.

Question 13

Where does the cerebellum give output to? (3).

Via what?

Answer 13

Motor cortex via thalamus. Reticular nuclei. Red nucleus.

SCP.

Question 14

What does damage to the inferior olivary nucleus cause?

Answer 14

Defects in motor learning.

Question 15

What is truncal ataxia?

Answer 15

Inability to sit or stand without falling over.

Question 16

Where does a lesion occur to produce truncal ataxia?

Example…

Answer 16

Midline lesion affecting vestibulocerebellum.

Medulloblastoma.

Question 17

What is gait ataxia?

Answer 17

Staggering, wide based gait.

Question 18

Where does a lesion occur to produce gait ataxia?

Causation…

Answer 18

Spinocerebellum.

Chronic alcoholics: degeneration of neurone in paravermal areas.

Question 19

What do patients with lesions in cerebellar hemispheres show? (5).

Answer 19

Tremor of intent.
Past pointing/dysmetria.
Adiadochokinesia (inability)
Dysarthria (poor articulation).
Nystagmus.

Question 20

What symptoms result from a medulloblastoma in the roof of the fourth ventricle? (6).

Answer 20

Headache, vomiting, drowsiness, papillodema (raised ICP).
Truncal ataxia.
Nystagmus.

Question 21

What features do chronic alcoholics have? (4).

Answer 21

Gait ataxia.
Head tremor.
Peripheral neuropathy.
Depressed tendon reflexes.