NM Cerebellar Disorders

Question 1

Cerebellar lesions tend to produce _____ signs/symptoms

Answer 1

Ipsilateral

Question 2

Lesions of archicerebellum (flocculonodular lobe) produce what? (3 things)

Answer 2

1. Central vestibular symptoms
2. Gait and trunk ataxia
3. Little change in tone or dyssynergia of extremity movements

Question 3

What are central vestibular symptoms?

Answer 3

Ocular dysmetria
Poor eye pursuit
Dysfunctional VOR
Impaired eye-hand coordination

Question 4

Lesions of paleocerebellum (spinocerebellum, rostral cerebellum, anterior lobe) —> leads to 3 things

Answer 4

1. Hypotonia
2. Truncal ataxia
3. Ataxic gait

Question 5

What is truncal ataxia?

Answer 5

Dysequilibrium, static postural tremor, increased sway, wide BOS, high guard arm position
- posture worse with decreased BOS and eyes closed (Romberg/sharpened Romberg)

Question 6

Lesions of neocerebellum (hemisphere, posterior lobe) lead to what? 5 things

Answer 6

1. Intention tremor
2. Disdiadochokinesia
3. Dysmetria
4. Dyssynergia
5. Errors in timing related to perceptual tasks

Question 7

Errors of velocity, onset, stop (abnormal timing)

Answer 7

Dyssynergia

Question 8

Overshooting

Answer 8

Hypermetria

Question 9

Errors of force, direction, amplitude

Answer 9

Dysmetria

Question 10

Additional impairments with cerebellar disorders (5)

Answer 10

1. Asthenia
2. Hypotonia
3. Motor learning impairments
4. Cognition deficits
5. Emotional dysregulation

Question 11

What is asthenia?

Answer 11

Generalized weakness (F to G on muscle testing)

Question 12

With hypotonia in cerebellar disorders, especially in ___ cerebellar lesions, difficulty with postural control of ____ muscles

Answer 12

Acute

Proximal (axial)

Question 13

Motor learning strategies for cerebellar disorders?
Open/closed?
What type of practice schedule?

Answer 13

Low stimulus environment (closed environment) ideal; focus on practice and repetition; distributed practice (endurance may be low)