Cerebellum Flashcards
What is the cerebellum responsible for?
-Motor area of the brain maintaining equilibrium and muscle contractions
-Ensures that the contraction of the correct muscle occurs at the right time with correct force
-Plays a role in learning patterns of neuronal activity for carrying out movement
-may have sensory and cognitive functions
Describe the connections of the cerebellum
-Cerebellum receives input from regions of cerebral cortex that plan and initiate skilled movements
- Also receives information from sensory systems that monitor course of movements
-Computes a “motor error” from these inputs
-Corrects output of motor cortex via its thalamic connections – does not project to LMN in BS or SC
-Corrections occur in real time, but also over longer periods, as in motor learning
-Major afferent and efferent pathways form a loop between the cerebral cortex, brainstem and spinal cord
What is the 2 major anatomical divisions of the cerebellum?
-cerebellar cortex
-deep cerebellar nuclei
What are the constitutes of the cerebellar cortex?
-Pontocerebellum
-Spinocerebellum
-Vestibulocerebellum
What constitutes the deep cerebellar nuclei
-Dentate nucleus
-Interposed nuclei
-Fastigial nucleus
what are the lobes of the cerebellum?
-flocculonodular
-anterior
-posterior
What are the layers of the cerebellar cortex?
3 cortical layers:
-molecular
-Purkinje cell
-granule cell
Describe the granule cell glomeruli
-mossy fibres synapse with neurons in the granule layer to form glomeruli
what are the major tracts of the cerebellum?
-3 major tracts (peduncles):
–superior
–middle
–inferior
describe the superior peduncle of cerebellum
-afferent input from sc, colliculi
-efferent output to the UMN in sup.
colliculus and M1 (area 4) & PMA
(area 6), via ventral lateral thalamus
describe the middle peduncle of the cerebellum
-afferent input from the pontine nuclei
Describe the inferior peduncle of the cerebellum
-afferent input from inferior olive, sc, vestibular nerve
-efferent to the vestibular nuclei and reticular formation
what is the structural anatomy of the cerebellum
-flocculonodular lobe
-vermis, paravermis
-lateral hemispheres
what is the phylogenetic anatomy of the cerebellum
-archicerebellum
-paleocerebellum
-neocerebellum
what is the function anatomy of the cerebellum?
-vestibulocerebellum
-spinocerebellum
-pontocerebellum