Cerebellum Flashcards
What does the word ‘cerebellum’ mean?
Little brain.
How many neurons does the cerebellum contain?
Approximately 50 billion neurons.
What is the primary function of the cerebellum?
Influencing movement, balance, posture, and coordination.
What test is used to assess cerebellar function?
The finger-to-nose test.
What are the three cerebellar peduncles?
Superior, middle, and inferior peduncles.
What is the vermis?
The central region joining the two hemispheres of the cerebellum.
What are the three lobes of the cerebellum?
Anterior, posterior, and flocculonodular lobes.
What is the ‘arbor vitae’?
The branching pattern of white matter in the cerebellum.
What are the three layers of the cerebellar cortex?
Molecular, Purkinje, and granular layers.
What is the function of Purkinje cells?
They project axons to the deep cerebellar nuclei, controlling output.
What are parallel fibers?
Axons of granule cells that synapse with Purkinje cells.
What are the deep cerebellar nuclei?
Dentate, emboliform, globose, and fastigial nuclei.
What neurotransmitter do Purkinje cells use?
GABA.
What are mossy fibers?
Afferent fibers that terminate in the granular layer of the cerebellar cortex.
What are climbing fibers?
Afferent fibers that synapse directly with Purkinje cells.
What is the role of the cerebellum in motor commands?
Processing and integrating motor information for smooth movements.
What symptoms occur with damage to the flocculonodular lobe?
Disturbances in posture and balance.
How does damage to the cerebellum affect movement?
Causes uncoordinated, jerky, and erratic movements.
What is the effect of damage to the neocerebellum?
Disrupts timing of rapid movements and causes unsteady gait.
What does bilateral damage to the neocerebellum cause?
Slow speech, dysarthria, and cerebellar ataxia.
What symptom results from damage to the anterior lobe?
Limb rigidity and movement deficits.
How does cerebellar damage affect eye movements?
Causes nystagmus (involuntary eye movement).
What does ipsilateral damage to the cerebellum affect?
Movement on the same side of the body as the damage.
What happens to movements when the cerebellum is damaged?
Movements become uncoordinated and poorly timed.
What types of input does the cerebellum receive?
Sensory, somatosensory, and motor information.
What structure connects the cerebellum to the brainstem?
Cerebellar peduncles.
What is the effect of alcohol on the cerebellum?
It disrupts balance and coordination, impairing movement.
What is cerebellar ataxia?
A staggering, unsteady gait caused by bilateral cerebellar damage.
How is sensory information processed in the cerebellum?
Processed by Purkinje cells and deep cerebellar nuclei.
What role does the cerebellum play in feedback for rapid movements?
It plans muscle activity in advance since feedback is too slow.
