Cerebellum Flashcards

1
Q

What is the role of the cerebellum?

A

Receives information about motor planning/intention and motor performance to modify ongoing movements and central motor plans.

Co-ordination, calibration, learning and automating of skilled movements

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2
Q

Three cerebellum parts?

A

Vestibulocerebellum

Spinocerebellum

Ponto-/Neo-/Cerebro-cerebellum

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3
Q

Role of vestibulocerebellum

A

Orientation of head and body (balance/posture) and corresponding eye movements

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4
Q

Role of spinocerebellum

A

Control of axial and limb musculature (motor execution)

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5
Q

Role of cerebrocerebellum

A

Planning and timing precise movements (motor planning) and cognitive regulation.

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6
Q

Does the cerebellum work contralaterally or ipsilaterally?

A

Ipsilaterally (right sided cerebellum controls right hand sided movements)

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7
Q

What is the midline structure of the cerebellum?

A

Vermis

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8
Q

Where does the spinocerebellum lie anatomically?

A

In the centre, vermis and paravermal area

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9
Q

Where does the cerebrocerebellum lie anatomically?

A

Lateral to the spinocerebellum

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10
Q

Where does the vestibulocerebellum lie anatomically?

A

Inferior facing the pons

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11
Q

What does the vestibulocerebellum consist of?

A

Central nodulus, lateral flocculus

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12
Q

What are the deep cerebellar nuclei?

A

Fastigial, Interposed, Dentate

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13
Q

Where does the fastigial nuclei lie?

A

Most medially in the vermis

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14
Q

Where does the interposed nuclei lie?

A

Paravermis

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15
Q

Where does the dentate nuclei lie?

A

Lateral cerebrocerebellum

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16
Q

Where do the cerebellar inputs and outputs collectively lie?

A

In three cerebellar peduncles: superior, middle and inferior

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17
Q

What is the superior peduncle role and where does it send/receive?

A

Efferents (to thalamus and midbrain) OUTPUT

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18
Q

What is the middle peduncle role and where does it send/receive?

A

Afferents from pons (~20 million axons) INPUT

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19
Q

What is the inferior peduncle role and where does it send/receive?

A

Afferents from vestibular nuclei, spine, and inferior olive INPUT

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20
Q

Where do vestibulocerebellum inputs enter?

A

Inputs to flocculonodular lobe

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21
Q

What inputs to the vestibulocerebellum?

A

Direct input from primary sensory afferents (e.g. from semicircular canals) (the only sensory system that inputs directly to cerebellum without a relay in brain stem)

Input from vestibular nuclei (secondary afferents)

Inferior olive

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22
Q

What is the only sensory system that inputs directly to the cerebellum without a brainstem relay?

A

Semi circular canals

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23
Q

Where do outputs of vestibulocerebellum exit?

A

Projects back to the vestibular nuclei.

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24
Q

Where do outputs via fastigial nucleus go?

A

Efferents travel via the inferior cerebellar peduncle to the vestibular nuclei.

Fastigial nucleus to v/m brainstem descending systems (vestibulo-, reticulo-, and cortico-spinal tracts via thalamocortical relay)

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25
Q

Where do outputs via interposed nucleus go?

A

Interposed nuclei to d/l brainstem descending systems (rubro- and cortico-spinal tracts)

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26
Q

Lesions of vestibulo-cerebellum

A

Poor balance, nystagmus (eye drift and jump)

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27
Q

What are spinocerebellum inputs ?

A

Sensory and motor cortex (instruction)

Spinocerebellar tracts: Neck and trunk, Limbs

Inferior olivary nuclei

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28
Q

Where do outputs of spinocerebellum exit?

A

Vermis via fastigial nuclei, paravermis via interposed nuclei

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29
Q

Lesions of medial zone spinocerebellum?

A

Problems standing or walking

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30
Q

Lesions of intermediate zone spinocerebellum?

A

Poor accuracy, action tremor (3-5 Hz)

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31
Q

Cerebrocerebellum inputs?

A

Inputs From cortex via pons (80% of all corticofugal fibres are corticopontine)

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32
Q

Where do cerebrocerebellum outputs exit?

A

Cerebellar dentate nucleus

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33
Q

Where does cerebellar dentate gyrus exit?

A

Via VL thalamus to motor cortical areas, prefrontal cortex

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34
Q

Lesions of lateral hemispheres cerebrocerebellum?

A

Disrupts multi-joint movements e.g. reaching and grasping objects

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35
Q

How many neurons does the cerebellar outer cortex contain?

A

100 thousand million neurons (half of all brain neurons)

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36
Q

What are the principle input cells of the cerebellum?

A

Mossy fibre inputs

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37
Q

What do mossy fibres synapse onto?

A

Granule cells

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38
Q

What synapse is mossy fibre onto granule cell?

A

Excitatory glutaminergic

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39
Q

What do granule cells project to?

A

Principle cells in the outer cortical layer: Purkinje neurons

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40
Q

What synapse is granule cell to purkinje cell?

A

Excitatory glutaminergic

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41
Q

How is the output of purkinje neurons finetuned?

A

Interneurons (granule cells excite interneurons, but interneurons directly inhibit purkinje cells and indirectly by inhibiting granule cells)

42
Q

What are the types of interneurons?

A

Golgi, stellate and basket cells

43
Q

What do purkinje cells synapse onto?

A

Send inhibitory output to deep nucleus neurons

44
Q

What synapse is purkinje cells to deep nucleus neurons?

A

Inhibitory

45
Q

What is an alternative input to the cerebellum?

A

Climbing fibre output from the inferior olive

46
Q

What do climbing fibres synapse on?

A

Excite the purkinje and deep nucleus neurons

47
Q

What is the role of climbing fibres?

A

Responds to unexpected stimuli (i.e. mismatch errors between cerebellar output and spine ascending afferents).

Receives cerebellar output and input from the spine, when balanced, no signal, but when mismatch, sending of error signal.

48
Q

What are the three layers of the cerebellar outer cortex, how are they arranged?

A

Inner Granule cell (GC) layer
Middle Purkinje cell (PC) layer

Outermost Molecular layer:

49
Q

What does the granule cell layer consist of?

A

Mossy fibre inputs, Golgi interneurons

50
Q

What does the purkinje cell layer consist of?

A

Principal output neurons to deep nuclei

51
Q

What does the molecular layer consist of?

A

PC dendrites, GC parallel fibres, climbing fibres, stellate and basket interneurons

52
Q

What is the functionality of mossy fibre inputs?

A

Mossy fibre inputs generate simple spikes in Purkinje cells.

Granule cells form parallel fibres, convergence onto purkinje cells

53
Q

What forms parallel fibres?

A

Granule cells

54
Q

How many parallel fibre inputs from GCs to purkinje cells to summate to cause spikes?

A

~200

55
Q

What is simple spike frequency modulated by?

A

Sensory and motor inputs (e.g. visual, muscle spindles, motor commands)

56
Q

What does purkinje cell activity do?

A

Inhibits output nuclei to offset motor overshoot for finessing (calibration and optimisation)

57
Q

What do climbing fibres do functionally?

A

Generates complex spikes in Purkinje cells

58
Q

Where do climbing fibres originate?

A

Contralateral inferior olive

59
Q

How many CFs innervate one purkinje cell, how?

A

1, but woven round with ~300 synapses

60
Q

What is a complex spike?

A

Large EPSP, Ca2+ dependent not an AP

61
Q

What electrical activity do sensory stimuli or movement elicit?

A

1-2 complex spikes

62
Q

What does the complex spike/CF input lead to?

A

Complex spike opens Ca2+ channels and mediates a change in efficacy of mossy fibre inputs leading to a long term depression (LTD) of parallel fibre/PC synapses.

Climbing fibre activation leads to LTD of parallel fibres

63
Q

How does climbing fibres and LTD underpin motor learning?

A

Complex (CF) spike depresses PF inputs that were active up to 200 ms earlier

Climbing fibres report ‘error’ to P-cells. A ‘difference detection’ from the ascending information from the IO (CFs) to the signals from parallel fibres that the PC is receiving.

Climbing fibres ‘teach’ Purkinje cells of the set of parallel fibres to which they should become less responsive

64
Q

Basket cells receive?

A

Excitatory GC input like P-cells

65
Q

Role and action of basket cells?

A

Axons project to neighbouring P-cells forming a basket

Excitation reduces activity in ‘off-beam’ P-cells - “lateral inhibition”

66
Q

Stellate cells action?

A

Short-range within-beam inhibition of P-cells.

67
Q

Golgi cells inputs?

A

Receive excitatory input from parallel fibres

68
Q

Golgi cells action?

A

Project back to granule cells

Feedback inhibition to curtail duration of excitement of granule cells by mossy fibres

69
Q

How is the cerebellum involved in the VOR?

A

Adaptation and learning when wearing prismatic lenses

70
Q

What happens to spikes when learning a new task? What happens when it is learnt?

A

Stereotyped activity in simple spikes (mossy fibres)

Increased frequency of complex spikes (climbing fibres)

Gradual decrease in simple spikes

As task is learned
Freq of complex spikes returns to control
Freq of simple spikes remains decreased

71
Q

Cerebellar disorder symptoms include:

A

Incoordination of fine movement

Dysmetria: poor accuracy of movement

Postural ataxia: Incoordination of axial muscles, postural instability, staggering wide-based ataxic gait - alcohol

Tremor: Low frequency high amplitude oscillations of a limb as it approaches target (intention tremor) (overshooting, overcompensating, ‘hunting’ to find target) or proximal limb in fixed posture (postural tremor)

Dysdiadochokinesis – poor rapid alternating movements

Hypotonia: decreased muscle tone

Dysarthria - slurred speech

Nystagmus - Involuntary, rapid oscillation of the eyeballs

72
Q

Where do flocculonodular lobe synapses go?

A

Fibers from the flocculonodular lobe synapse directly on vestibular nuclei without first passing through the deep cerebellar nuclei.

73
Q

Nucleus receiving fibres from the interposed and dentate nucleus of the cerebellum?

A

Red nucleus

74
Q

What peduncle does dentate output travel in?

A

Superior

75
Q

What peduncle does interposed output travel in?

A

Superior

76
Q

What peduncle does fastigial output travel in?

A

Inferior

77
Q

Neurotransmitter released from granule cells in the cerebellum is

A

Glutamate

78
Q

The pons provides excitatory input to the cerebellar cortex

A

T

79
Q

Purkinje cells are the only output neurons of the cerebellar cortex

A

T

80
Q

The dentate nucleus receives innervation from both Purkinje and pontine cells

A

F

81
Q

Granule cells make excitatory connections with Purkinje cells

A

T

82
Q

Climbing fibres originate in neurons of the inferior olivary complex

A

T

83
Q

Which is the main tract conveying proprioceptive information from the lower limbs to the cerebellum?

A

Dorsal spino-cerebellar tract

84
Q

Which is the major spinal relay nucleus for proprioceptive information from the lower limbs projecting to the cerebellum?

A

Clarke’s column

85
Q

Which deep cerebellar nucleus is concerned with vestibular outputs?

A

Fastigial nucleus

86
Q

Which is the major input pathway to the cerebellum from the pontine nuclei?

A

Middle cerebellar

87
Q

What are the major output neurons of the cerebellar cortex? Which neurotransmitter do these cells use?

A

Purkinje cell, GABA

88
Q

With which cells do parallel fibres synapse?

A

Purkinje cells and the inhibitory interneurons: basket cells and stellate cells

89
Q

Thalamus is a major target of axons within the superior cerebellar peduncle

A

True

90
Q

Mossy fibres terminate on

A

Granule cells in cerebellar cortex and also in the deep cerebellar nuclei

91
Q

Climbing fibres terminate

A

In cerebellar cortex on purkinje cells and also in the deep cerebellar nuclei

92
Q

The cerebellum has motor effects on which side of the body?

A

Ipsilateral

93
Q

Brainstem location of neurons that relay cerebral cortical information to the cerebellar hemispheres

A

Pons/middle cerebellar peduncle

94
Q

A common effect on the eye of cerebellar damage

A

Nystagmus (rapid involuntary movement of the eye)

95
Q

Which of the following is the principal target of axons from the intermediate/interposed (globose and emboliform) nuclei?

A

Red nucleus

96
Q

Which of the following cerebellar neuron types is NOT inhibitory?

A

Granule cell

97
Q

Purkinje cell axons make direct synaptic contact with

A

Golgi cells Basket cells, stellate cells, granule cells, climbing fibres, cells of the deep cerebellar nuclei

98
Q

The molecular layer of the cerebellum contains

A

Basket cells, stellate cells, purkinje cell axons, parallel fibres (granule cell axons)

99
Q

Semicircular canals

A

Ouput to the vestibular nucleus (superior and medial)

100
Q

Lesions in the vermis cause

A

Gait and truncal ataxia (depression, inappropriate emotional responses)

101
Q

Lesions in the cerebellar hemisphere cause

A

Ipsilateral limb ataxia