Cerebellum Flashcards
Motor function of the cerebellum
• Helps to control balance and equilibrium
• Influences muscle tone and makes postural adjustments
• Helps to coordinate movement sequences during skilled activity
Dorsal columns and spinothalamic pathway
Ascending sensory pathways that carry information from spinal cord up to cerebral cortex where we become consciously aware of the sensory information
Spinocerebellar pathways
carry sensory information from the spinal cord directly to the cerebellum
Corticospinal tract
Descending motor pathways involving direct connection with cerebral cortex passing motor instructions via spinal cord to the muscles
Vestibular, reticular and rubrospinal system
descending motor pathways that originated in brain stem nuclei
Deep Cerebellar nuclei
• Fastigial nucleus
• Dentate nucleus
• Globose nucleus
• Emboliform nucleus
Sensory (afferent) input pathways
• The cortex (via pontine nucleus)
• The brainstem (via reticular and vestibular nuclei)
• The spinal cord (via the spinocerebellar tract)
Motor (Efferent) input pathways
• Ascend from the cortex via the thalamus
• Descend the spinal cord to the muscles via the brainstem nuclei
Vestibulocerebellum/ Archicerebellum functional task
balance and control of eye movement
Spinocerebellum/ palocerebellum pathway function
control muscle tone and posture, coordination of skilled voluntary movement
Cerebrocerebellum/ Neocerebellum pathway function
planning of voluntary movement and error detection
Ataxia Definition
Uncoordinated movement sequences
Dysmetria Definition
The inability to judge distance and when to stop
dysdiadochokinesia definition
The inability to perform rapid alternating movements
Ataxic Gait
• Staggering, wide base walking
Dysarthia Defintion
Slurred speech
Nystagmus definition
Poor coordination of eye movements
