The Cerebellum

Cerebellum

• The cerebellum is located dorsal to the pons and

medulla under the occipital lobe of the cerebral
hemispheres
 The Cerebellum
• It is separated from
the occipital lobe by
the transverse
fissure
• It rests in the
posterior cranial
fossa of the skull
 Cerebellum: Gross Anatomy
Ventral View
•It consists of cerebellar cortex and and
deep cerebellar nuclei, with white medulla
in between flocculus
nodulus
•Cerebellum is uninterrupted across the
midline
tonsil
•The cortex consists of ridges called folia.
•The cerebellum consists of three parts:
•A small inferior part …Flocculonodular
lobe (floccular, means a tuft of wool);
•A narrow central vermis (worm shaped)
•Two large lateral hemispheres
 Anatomy of the Cerebellum
2 symmetrical hemispheres connected medially by the Vermis
Folia: Transversely oriented gyri
3 lobes in each hemisphere: Anterior, Posterior, Flocculonodular (FN)
Neural arrangement: Gray matter (Cortex), White matter (Internal),
Scattered cerebellar nuclei: dentate, globose, emboliform, fastigial
Arbor vitae (tree of life): distinctive treelike pattern of the white matter

Folium
 Divisions of the Cerebellum
Ventral View Superior Surface
Ant Lobe
flocculus
Ant Lobe
nodulus

Post Lobe Post Lobe

tonsil

Schematic

Ant Lobe v
e
r
hemisphere m
Post Lobe i
s

flocculus
nodulus
 Cerebellum
Primary fissure

Anterior Lobe

Regulation of
muscle tone,
coordination of
skilled voluntary
movement Posterior
Lobe

Planning of
voluntary activity Flocculo-Nodular
Lobe (FN lobe)

Maintenance of
Vestibulocerebellum
balance, control
of eye movements Spinocerebellum
Folia Cerebrocerebelum
 Cerebellar Subdivisions
Archicerebellum-vestibulocerebellum
Paleocerebellum-spinocerebellum
Neocerebellum-pontocerebellum/cerebrocerebellum

•Multiple nomenclatures have

been used to describe the various
lobules
•Larsell (1952) used Roman
Numerals I-X (anterior to
posterior)
 Cerebellar SCP
MCP

Peduncles
ICP

Peduncle Connects
to

Superior Midbrain
(SCP)
SCP SCP
Middle Pons
MCP MCP
(MCP)

ICP ICP
Inferior Medulla
(ICP)
 The Macroscopic Anatomy of the
Cerebellum
• Gross anatomical divisions
– Anterior lobe
– Posterior lobe
– Flocculonodular lobe
 The Evolutionary & Functional
Division of the Cerebellum
• The cerebellum can be divided by
– Evolutionary age
– Function
 Cerebellar Subdivisions
Archicerebellum-vestibulocerebellum
Paleocerebellum-spinocerebellum
Neocerebellum-pontocerebellum/cerebrocerebellum

•Multiple nomenclatures have

been used to describe the various
lobules
•Larsell (1952) used Roman
Numerals I-X (anterior to
posterior)
 The Evolutionary Division of the
Cerebellum
• Three phylogenetic divisions within the
cerebellum – according to evolutionary
age
– The flocculonodular lobes (archicerebellum)
– The anterior lobes (paleocerebellum)
– The posterior lobes (neocerebellum)
 Functional Division of the
Cerebellum
• Three functional divisions run
perpendicular to the phylogenetical
divisions
• Align from the midline outwards toward the sides
of the body
 The Archicerebellum

• Associated with the flocculonodular lobe

• Functions
– Balance (vestibular function)
• Receives input from the inferior and medial
vestibular nuclei
• Sends fibers back to the vestibular nuclei
• Creates a feedback loop that allows for the
constant maintenance of balance
– Eye movement
 The Paleocerebellum

• Separated from the anterior lobes by the

primary fissure
• Separated from the flocculonodular lobes
by the posterolateral fissure
 The Paleocerebellum
• Function
– Controls proprioception related to muscle tone
• Receives inputs from muscle stretch receptors via
the inferior olive (in the medulla)
– Send out put to the inferior cerebellar peduncle
• Receives inputs from the dorsal and ventral
spinocerebellar tracts
– Carries information about the position and forces acting
on the legs
– Sends axonal projections to the deep cerebellar nuclei
 The Neocerebellum

• Receives input from the pontocerebellar tract

– From the cerebral cortex (motor) via the pontine
nuclei in the base of the skull
• Axons project to the deep cerebellar nuclei
through the middle cerebellar peduncles
• The major output tract of the cerebellum is
the superior cerebellar peduncle
– Sends signals to the motor cortex and the
supplementary motor area
 The Neocerebellum
• Function
– Control motor function
• Coordinate fine finger movements
– Feed-forward
– Feed-back
Longitudinal Cerebellar Regions
• Vermis
– Contributes to body posture
• Paravermal region
– Regulates movements of ipsilateral
extremities (e.g. walking)
• Lateral Zone
– Regulates skilled movements of ipsilateral
extremity (e.g. tying your shoe)
Deep Cerebellar nuclei
• Dentate
• Emboliform
Interposed
• Globose
• Fastigial

Fast G E Dent
Simplified Cerebellar Circuitry
Spinal Cord, Cerebral Cortex +
(via pontine nuclei), Vestibular
Cerebellar Cortex
System
Mossy Fibers

INPUT -

Inferior Olive
Climbing Fibers Deep Cerebellar Nuclei

Spinal cord, Cerebral Cortex Brainstem, thalamus, midbrain

 Microscopic Sections

Mol Gr
Molecular

Cortex
Purkinje
WM
Granular

Outer Molecular layer Stellate cells, Basket cells

Middle Purkinje cell layer Purkinje cells

Inner Granular layer Granule cells, Golgi cells
 Major Cell Types
•Granule cells Glutamate
•Purkinje cells GABA
•Golgi cells GABA
•Stellate cells GABA
•Basket cells GABA

***The Purkinje cell is the only output of the cerebellar cortex

 Microcircuitry of cerebellum
5 cell types

Stellate (inhibitory)
Basket (inhibitory)
(molecular layer)

Purkinje (inhibitory)
(Purkinje layer)

Golgi (inhibitory)
Granule (excitatory)
(Granular layer)
Inputs: Output:
• Climbing fiber (“+”, excitatory,
• Purkinje cell axon (“-”, inhibitory)
from inferior olive nucleus)
• Mossy fiber (+, from spinal cord
& brain stem)
Internal circuitry
A. Organization of
cortex is uniform
across different
subdivisions
B. AFFERENT
pathways to the
cerebellar cortex
excite Purkinje
cells.
C. Basket, stellate
and Golgi cells
regulate Purkinje
cell activity.
D. EFFERENT
pathways from the
cortex originate
from Purkinje
cells.
 Purkinje Cell

Recieves + inputs from parallel fibers and climbing fibers

Recieves - inputs from basket cells, Golgi cells, stellate cells
Heavily invested with glial processes
First direct pathway:
• climbing fiber (+)  Purkinje cells (-)  deep nuclei
• each climbing fiber projects to 1-10 Purkinje cells
• each Purkinje cell receives input from a single climbing fiber
• Powerful excitatory connection, each climbing fiber spike
cause a burst of spikes in Purkinje cell (called a “complex
spike”)

complex spike
Second direct pathway:
• Mossy fiber (+)  granule cells (axon: parallel fibers, +)  Purkinje cells (-)
 deep nuclei
• each parallel fiber projects to thousands of Purkinje cells (high divergence)
• each Purkinje cell receives input from ~200,000 parallel fibers (high
convergence)
• Weak excitatory connection, spatiotemporal summation of inputs from many
parallel fibers causes a single spike in Purkinje cell (called a “simple spike”)
simple spikes

glomeruli
Inhibition: focusing in time and
space
_ + _

•Stellate, Golgi, basket cells also receive parallel fiber input

and elaborate their dendrites in the molecular layer
•Golgi cells project to granule cells
•Feed forward inhibition
•Stellate, basket cells tend to project laterally
•Collaterals of Purkinje cells also contact nearby cells
Lateral inhibition:
• granule cells (axon: parallel fibers, +)  stellate and basket cells (-)  Purkinje cells in
a different row
Negative feedback:
• granule cells (axon: parallel fibers, +)  Golgi cells (-)  granule cells
Cerebellar Peduncles
Superior peduncles (to the midbrain):
Fibers originate from neurons in the deep cerebellar nuclei &
communicates with the motor cortex via the midbrain and
the diencephalon (thalamus)
Middle peduncles (to the pons):
Cerebellum receives information advising it of voluntary
motor activities initiated by motor cortex
Inferior peduncles (to the medulla):
Afferents conveying sensory information from muscle
proprioceptors throughout the body & from the vestibular
nuclei of the brainstem (Spinal cord)
 Somatotopic Organization
• Tactile information
– Ipsilateral anterior lobule
– Bilateral paramedian
lobules
– Cerebral Cortex and
Cerebellum have similar
representations
• Motor representation
– Same area as sensory
mapping
– May have auditory and
visual processing
 The Cerebellum

• Virtually all fibers entering and leaving the cerebellum

are ipsilateral; from and to the same side of the body
 Cerebellum
Cerebellum
Connections
Connections

Afferent Connections (1):

1. Inferior Cerebellar Peduncle

Restiform Body
Posterior Spinocerebellar Tract
Olivocerebellar tract
Cuneocerebellar Tract
Reticulocerebellar Tract

Juxtarestiform Body
Vestibulocerebellar Tract
 Cerebellum
Cerebellum
Connections
Connections

Afferent Connections (2):

2. Middle Cerebellar Peduncle

Pontocerebellar fiber
Fibers from raphe nuclei

3. Superior Cerebellar Peduncle

Anterior Spinocerebellar Tract

Tecto-cerebellar tract
Trigemino-cerebellar tract
Fibres from locus coeruleus
 Cerebellum
Cerebellum
Connections
Connections
Efferent Connections :

1. Superior Cerebellar Peduncle

Cerebellothalamic fiber
- from 3 deep nuclei to VPLo, VLc, CL
Cerebellorubral fiber
- from nucleus interpositus
and dentate nucleus
both goes to cortex
Cerebello-rubro-spinal tract
Fibers to reticular formation and olivary complex

2. Inferior Cerebellar Peduncle

Fastigiovestibular fiber
Cerebello-reticular
cerebello- olivary tract
 Outputs of the Cerebellum
Cerebellar nuclei: dentate, globose, emboliform, fastigial
Dentate nuclei: project contralaterally through
the superior cerebellar peduncle to
neurons in the contralateral thalamus &
from thalamus to motor cortex
Func.: influence planning and initiation of
voluntary movement
Emboliform & Globose nuclei: project mainly
to the contralateral red nuclei & a small
group is projected to the motor cortex
Red Nuclei  Rubrospinal Tract
control of proximal limb muscles

Fastigial nuclei: project to the vestibular nuclei

& to the pontine and medullary reticular
formation
Vestibulospinal & Reticulospinal tracts
 Main
Main Connections
Connectionsof
of the
theVestibulocerebellum
Vestibulocerebellum

Vestibular
Organ Floculonodular
Lobe
VESTIBULAR NUCLEUS Vermis

vestibulospinal tract

MLF FASTIGIAL
NUCLEUS

lower motor neuron ARCHICEREBELLUM

LMN
 Main
MainConnections
Connectionsof
ofthe
thePaleocerebellum
Paleocerebellum

RED NUCLEUS
INTERPOSITUS
NUCLEUS

rubrospinal
tract Inferior ANTERIOR
Olivry LOBE
PARAVERMAL
Nucleus ZONE

lower motor neuron PALEOCEREBELLUM

SPINAL CORD spinocerebellar
tract
 Main
Main Connections
Connectionsof
ofthe
theNeocerebellum
Neocerebellum

CEREBRAL
CEREBRAL DENTATE
DENTATE
THALAMUS
THALAMUS
CORTEX
CORTEX NUCLEUS
NUCLEUS

pyramidal
tract Pontine
Pontine POSTERIOR
POSTERIOR
LOBE
Nucleus
Nucleus
LOBE
CEREBELLAR
CEREBELLAR
HEMISPHERE
HEMISPHERE

lower motor neuron NEOCEREBELLUM

LMN
 Pyramidal
PyramidalTract
Tractand
andAssociated
AssociatedCircuits
Circuits

upper
uppermotor
motorneuron
neuron
UMN
UMN

BASAL
BASAL
Cerebellum
Cerebellum GANGLIA
GANGLIA
pyramidal tract

lower
lower motor
motor neuron
neuron
UMN
UMN
 Cerebellum
Cerebellum and
andAutomatic
AutomaticMotor
MotorControl
Control

Motor
MotorCortex
Cortex
CEREBELLUM
CEREBELLUM
Red
RedNucleus
Nucleus

Reticular Vestibular
Vestibular
Reticular
Formation Nucleus
Nucleus
Formation

Lower
Lower Motor
MotorNeuron
Neuron(LMN)
(LMN) Proprioceptors
Proprioceptors
 Cerebellum
Cerebellum
Connections
Connections
Olivocerebellar Connections

Caudal portion of
medial and dorsal accessory olivary nucleus
----------------- vermis of cerebellar cortex (A and B)
fastigial nucleus
vestibular nucleus

Rostral portion of
medial and dorsal accessory olivary nucleus
----------------- paravermal region (C1, C2, C3)
nucleus interpositus

Principal Inferior Olivary Nucleus

----------------- cerebellar hemisphere (D1, D2)
dentate nucleus
 Cerebellum
Cerebellum
Function
Function

 Maintenance of Equilibrium
- balance, posture, eye movement

 Coordination of half-automatic movement of

walking and posture maintenance
- posture, gait

 Adjustment of Muscle Tone

 Motor Learning – Motor Skills

 Cognitive Function
 Cerebellum: Control of Voluntary Movement
All three lobes of cerebellum work together- Comparator of a servo-mechanism

Primary function:
1. To supplement & correlate the activities of other motor areas
2. Control of posture
3. Correction of rapid movements initiated by cerebral cortex
4. Motor learning
Frequency of nerve impulses in the climbing fibers almost
doubles when a monkey learns a new task
Movement Control:
a. Inputs from motor cortex inform the cerebellum of an intended
movement before it is initiated
b. Sensory information is then received via the
spinocerebellar tract
c. An error signal is generated and is fed back to the cortex
 Cerebellum and Motor Learning
• Deficits in learning complex motor tasks
after cerebellar lesions
• fMRI studies : cerebellum active during
learning of novel movements
• Postulated that cerebellar nuclei store
certain motor memories
• May be involved in cognitive functions
Cerebellar Cognitive Function
• Plays a role in language and problem solving
• Recognizes and predicts sequences of events
 Cerebellar Processing - 1
• The frontal motor association areas of the
cerebral cortex indicates its intents to
initiate voluntary muscle contractions
• Through collateral fibers of the pyramdial
tracts, it notifies the cerebellum of its
activity
 Cerebellar Processing - 2
• At the same time, the cerebellum receives
information from the proprioceptors
throughout the body
– Tension in muscles, tendons, and joint positions
– From visual and equilibrium pathways
• This information enables the cerebellum to
determine where the body is and where it is
going
– More specifically where the parts of the body
are located in space and how are they moving
 Cerebellar Processing - 3
• The cerebellar cortex assesses this
information and calculates the best way to
coordinate the force, direction, and extent
of muscle contraction
– Prevents overshoot
– Maintains posture
– Ensures smooth, coordinated movements
 Cerebellar Processing - 4
• Via the superior peduncles, the cerebellum
dispatches its “blueprint” for coordination
to the cerebral motor cortex which makes
appropriate adjustments in its motor plan
• Cerebellar fibers also flow to brain stem
nuclei, such as the red nuclei of the
midbrain, which in turn project to motor
neurons of the spinal cord
 The Cerebellum
• The cerebellum continually compares the
higher brain’s intention with the body’s
performance and sends out messages to
initiate the appropriate measures
• In this way, it helps to promote smooth
voluntary movements that are precise and
economical in terms of muscular effort
 The Cerebellum
• Cerebellar injury results in the loss of
muscle tone and clumsy, unsure
movements, and sometimes even
impaired thoughts about movements
 Clinical Considerations
• Signs of Dysfunction
– Impaired Muscle Synergy
– Reduced Muscle Tone
– Evident in Skilled Tasks
– Nystagmus
– Ataxia : incoordination of movement
- decomposition of movement
- dysmetria, past-pointing
- dysdiadochokinesia
- gait ataxia, truncal ataxia
• Slow Movement (Bradykinesia)
• Mild Muscular Weakness (Asthenia)
• Asynergia
• Speech difficulties (Ataxic Dysarthria)
– affects respiration, phonation, resonance and articulation, but
most pronounced in articulation and prosody.
 Clinical Considerations 2
• Dysdiadochokinesia
– Clumsiness in Alternating Movements
– Tapping, Speech Sound
• Dysarthria
– Ataxic Dysarthria
– Scanning Speech
– Slurred and Disjointed Speech
• Dysmetria
– Error in Judgment of Range and Distance of Target
– Undershooting or Overshooting
 Clinical Considerations 3
• Intentional Tremor
– Accessory Movement During Volitional Task
– vs. Parkinson’s Disease Where Tremor Lessens During
Volitional Movement
• Hypotonia
– Reduced Resistance to Passive Stretch
• Rebounding
– Inability to Predict Movement
– Cannot Hold Back Movement
• Disequilibrium
– Unsteady Gait, Body Wavering
 Cerebellar Pathologies
• Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)
– Thrombotic, embolic or hemorrhagic
– Vertebrobasilar Artery
• Toxicity
– Chronic Alcoholism
• Progressive Cerebellar Degeneration
– Friedrich's Ataxia: Autosomal Recessive
Heredity Degenerative Condition
– Combined Sensory and Motor Dysfunctions
 Posture
Gait – Ataxia
Tremor
 a b c
Cerebellar
Ataxia

Ataxic gait and

position:
d Left cerebellar tumor

a. Sways to the right in

standing position

b. Steady on the
right leg

c. Unsteady on the
left leg

d. ataxic gait
 Cerebellar
Medulloblastoma

Cerebellar tumors on vermis

- Truncal Ataxia
- Frequent Falling

The child in this picture:

- would not try to stand
unsupported
- would not let go of the bed
rail
if she was stood on the floor.