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What
is the function of the cerebellum?
The cerebellum is involved in motor pathways, and is often associated
with coordinated movement. The Gao et. al. article indicates that
the cerebellum also is involved in sensory pathways. There does
exists evidence for the involvement of the cerebellum in higher
cognitive function.
Middleton,
F.A., and Strick, P.L. (1994) "Anatomical evidence for Cerebellar
and Basal Ganglia Involvement in Higher Cognitive Function"
Science 266:458-461.
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MID-SAGITAL CRYOSECTION
This is a post-mortem sagital cryosection at the midline.
The cerebellum is seen along the midline axis. A mini-movie
cutting through the brain in the sagital plane also is provided.
View
Movie
Can
you see any of the cerebellar nuclei in the movie?
(provided by the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging) |
Enlarge
Image |
HORIZONTAL
MRI
This is a T2 wieghted horizontal MRI of the cerebellum.
A sagital section indicating the section
level is included.
Can
you identify the structures with the pointers?
(from Harvard's Whole Brain Atlas) |
Enlarge
image
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CEREBELLAR
TONSIL HERNIATION
Tonsillar herniation. The two tonsils on axial view are visible below the level of the foramen
magnum. |
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Image
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CEREBELLAR
INFARCTS, MRI
This is a T1 weighted horizontal MRI at the level of the cerebellum.
This patient shows multiple cerebellar infarcts seen as pale
areas in the cerebellar hemispheres.
What
kind of deficits would you expect this patient to have? |
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CEREBELLAR
FUNCTION, PET
This is a Positron Emission Tomographic (PET) image of cerbellar
function. The top figure indicates cerebellar activation during
a motor control task (finger movement).
Do
you know your pathways? Is the response ipsilateral or contralateral
to the finger movement? Why?
The bottom figure indicates cerbellar activation during a
timing task. Note that the response is bilateral and superior
with correcponding activation in the vermis.
Jueptner, M., Rijntjes, M., Weiller,
C., Faiss, J.H., Timmann, D., Mueller, S.P., Diener, H.C.
(1995) "Localization of a cerebellar timing process using
PET" Neurology 45:1540-1545) |
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CEREBELLAR
FUNCTION, fMRI
This is a functional MRI image of cerebellar function. Magnetic
Resonance imaging of the lateral cerebellar output nucleus
(dentate) was used to determine the relative roles of the
cerebellum in sensory and motor systems. Activation occurred
durring motor and sensory tasks.
Gao, J.H., Parsons, L.M., Bower,
J.M., Xiong, J., Li, J., and Fox, P.T. "The Role of the
Cerebellum in Sensory Discrimination: A Functional Magnetic
Resonance Imaging Study" Science 1996 Apr 26, 272(5261):545-7. |
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