Cerebellum

Question 1

What are the 3 functional sections of the cerebellum?

Answer 1

Vestibulocerebellum
Spinocerebellum
Cerebrocerebellum

Question 2

What are the inputs/outputs of the vestibulocerebellum?

Answer 2

Inputs - Vestibular receptors. vestibular nuclei, visual areas of brain
Outputs - Vestibular nuclei in brainstem

Question 3

What is the role of the vestibulocerebellum?

Answer 3

Influences eye movement and postural muscles, regulating equilibrium

Question 4

What are the inputs/outputs of the spinocerebellum?

Answer 4

Inputs - somatosensory info from spinal cord
Outputs - Reticular formation and red nucleus in brainstem

Question 5

What is the role of the spinocerebellum?

Answer 5

Regulates gross limb movement and muscle tone

Question 6

What are the inputs/outputs of the cerebrocerebellum?

Answer 6

Inputs - receives info via pons from areas of cerebral cortex controlling distal limb movements
Outputs - Cerebral cortex via motor thalamus

Question 7

What is the role of the cerebrocerebellum?

Answer 7

Responsible for voluntary movement, planning of movements, ability to judge time intervals and produce rhythms

Question 8

Describe the cortico-pontine-cerebellar-thalamico-cortico pathway

Answer 8

1 - Primary motor cortex sends command to muscles via corticospinal tract
2 - identical message is copied to the cerebrocerebellum via the pons
3 - Muscles perform the original movement, info about this movement is sen to the cerebrocerebellum via the spinocerebellum (spinocerellar tract)
4 - The cerebrocerebellum can now calculate the degree of error from this information
5 - A more refined message is sent to the cerebral cortex via the thalamus, so the next message is more accurate

Question 9

What is the difference in the roles of the cortex and cerebellum?

Answer 9

The cortex decides where to move, whereas the cerebellum implements proper timing, force, direction and speed.