6.18 PHYS - Phys of Motor Control

Question 1

What are the 3 main divisions of the cerebellum and what are their functions, and where do they receive their inpur from?

Answer 1

Vestibulocerebellum: dominated by vestibular input, controls balance and eye movements.

Spinocerebellum: dominated by spinal cord input and controls synergy of movement.

Pontocerebellum: dominated by cerebral input, via pontine nuclei, and controls planning and initiation of movements.

Question 2

How is the cerebellum connected to the brainstem? (name them). What kind of nerve fibers do each of these connections have?

Answer 2

The peduncles connect the cerebellum to the brainstem.

Superior, midde, inferior peduncles.

Contain both afferent and efferent nerve fibers.

Question 3

What are the afferent fibers associated with the cerebellum?

Answer 3

Cerebral cortex (corticopontocerebellar and corticoreticular cerebellar pathways)

Inferior olive (cortico-olivary cerebellar pathway, parvocellular red nucleus, spinal cord)

Lateral reticular nucleus

Spinal cord (spinocerebellar tracts, upper and lower extremity feedback)

Vestibular nuclei