Examination of the Cerebellar System

Question 1

Located behind the dorsal aspect of pons and medulla

Answer 1

Cerebellum

Question 2

Separated from occipital lobe by tentorium

Answer 2

Cerebellum

Question 3

Midline portion of the cerebellum also separates two lateral lobes or hemispheres

Answer 3

Vermis

Question 4

Narrow, ridge-like folds, oriented transversely on

external surface, adjacent to 4thventricle

Answer 4

Folia

Question 5

Functions of the cerebellum

Answer 5

1. Coordinate skilled voluntary movements

2. Receive collateral input from sensory and special sensory systems

Question 6

T or F:

Cerebellum processes sensory information

Answer 6

True

Question 7

T or F:

Does not influence motor neurons directly

Answer 7

True

Question 8

Related to a depression of gamma and alpha motor neuron activity

Answer 8

Hypotonia

Question 9

“Cerebellar sign par excellence”

Answer 9

Ataxia or dystaxia

Question 10

Lack of synergy of the various muscle components in performing more complex movements so that movements are disjointed and clumsy and broken up into isolated successive parts

Answer 10

Asynergia

Question 11

Abnormalities in the rate, range and force of movement

Answer 11

Dysmetria

Question 12

Abnormality in the rhythm of rapid alternating movements

Answer 12

Adiodochokinesis or dysdiadochokinesis

Question 13

Variable intonation (prosody) and abnormalities in articulation; described also as staccato, explosive, hesitant, slow altered accent, and garbled speech

Answer 13

Scanning dysarthria

Question 14

Lesions of the uvula, nodulus produces what kind of nystagmus?

Answer 14

Periodic alternating nystagmus

Question 15

Posterior midline lesions produces what kind of lesion?

Answer 15

Downbeat nystagmus

Question 16

Overshooting the target

Answer 16

Hypermetria

Question 17

A rhythmic tremor of the head or upper trunk (three to four per second)

Answer 17

Titubation

Question 18

Wide-based stance with increased trunk sway, irregular stepping with a tendency to stagger as if intoxicated

Answer 18

Disorders of Equilibrium and Gait

Question 19

Incoordination of ipsilateral appendicular movements

Usual etiologies: Infarcts, neoplasms, abscesses

Answer 19

Hemispheric syndrome

Question 20

A wide-based stance and titubating gait

Ataxia of gait, with proportionally little ataxia on the heel-to-shin maneuver with the patient lying down

Answer 20

Rostral vermis syndrome

Question 21

Axial disequilibrium (truncal ataxia) and staggering gait
Little or no limb ataxia
Sometimes spontaneous nystagmus and rotated postures of the head

Answer 21

Caudal vermis syndrome

Question 22

Bilateral signs of cerebellar dysfunction affecting the trunk, limbs, and cranial musculature

Answer 22

Pancerebellar syndrome

Question 23

Ask the patient to extend the arms straight out front
Do the finger to nose test.
Rapid pronation-supination test, thigh-slapping test

Answer 23

Clinical tests for arm dystaxia

Question 24

Heel-to-shin test

Heel-tapping test

Answer 24

Clinical tests for leg dystaxia

Question 25

Observe the patient’s stance
Ask the patient to walk
Tandem-walk

Answer 25

Clinical tests for dystaxia of station and gait

Question 26

Occurs usually from ethanol or drug intoxication

Answer 26

Pancerebellar syndrome