Cerebellum

ANUNG PUTRI ILLAHIKA, DR

L A B O R AT O R I U M A N AT O M I
FK UMM
 Cerebellum

 The largest part of the hindbrain

 Originates from the dorsal aspect of the brain stem
and overlies the fourth ventricle
 Connected to the brain stem by 3 stout pairs of fibre
bundles :
 Inferior cerebellar peduncle (cerebellum-medulla)
 Middle cerebellar peduncle (cerebellum-pons)
 Superior cerebellar peduncle (cerebellum-midbrain)
Neuroanatomy, an illustrated colour
text, 2010
Functions:

 Entirely motor
 Operates at an unconscious level
 Controls the maintenance of equilibrium (balance)
 Influences posture, muscle tone, and coordinates
movement
External features:

 Consist:
 Two laterally located hemispheres,
Superior
 A midline vermis
Inferior
 Surface:
 Superior: beneath the tentorium cerebelli

 Highly convoluted, parallel folds, or folia  lie fissures of

varying depths (landmarks: divide the cerebellum
anatomically into 3 lobes)  primary fissure &
posterolateral fissure
Neuroanatomy, an illustrated colour text, 2010
Lobes of Cerebellum (Anatomically):

 Anterior lobe  relatively small

 Posterior lobe
 Flocculonodular lobe  the flocculus and vermis
(the nodule)
Neuroanatomy, an illustrated colour
text, 2010
Atlas of Human Anantomy, Netter,2007
Atlas of Human Anantomy, Netter,2007
Internal Structure:

 Consists:
 Grey matter (the cerebellar cortex)  Outer layer

 White matter
 Inner core
 made up largely of afferent and efferent fibres that run to and from
the cortex and towards which it extends irregular, branch-like
projection  the arbor vitae
 Buried deep: 4 pairs of cerebellar nuclei  have important
connections with the cerebellar cortex and with certain nuclei of
the brain stem and thalamus.
Netter’s Atlas of human neuroscience, 2003
 Cerebellar Cortex

 Highly convulated  folia

 Lie the cell bodies, dendrites and synaptic
connections of the vast majority of cerebellar
neurones
 The cellular organisation  same in all regions
 Divided histologically:
1. The outer, fibre-rich, molecular layer
2. The intermediate, Purkinje cell layer
3. The inner granular layer 
dominated by the granule cell
Histology a text and atlas, 2011
 Afferent projections to the cerebellum:
 The spinal cord (spinocerebellar fibres)

 Inferior olivary nucleus (olivocerebellar fibres)

 Vestibular nuclei (vestibulocerebellar fibres)

 Pons (pontocerebellar fibres)

Afferent axons:

 Mostly terminate in the cerebellar cortex 

excitatory to cortical neurones
 Fibres  one of the cerebellar peduncles
cerebellum  proceed to the cortex as either
mossy fibres or climbing fibres (depending upon
their origin)
 All afferents originating elsewhere end as mossy
fibres (except the inferior olivary nucleus)
 Mossy fibres
From spinal cord/brain
stem
End in the granular layer 
synaps with the granule
cells The axons of
granule cells  enter the
molecular layer  bifurcate
to produce two parallel
fibres
Climbing fibre
From the inferior olivary
nucleus in the medulla
• Provide relatively discrete
excitatory input to Purkinje
cells.
• Axon collaterals of
climbing fibres excite the
neurones of the deep
cerebellar nuclei
Netter’s Atlas of
human
neuroscience,
2003
The purkinje cell layer:

 Consists of a unicellular layer of the somata of

purkinje neurones
 Profuse dendritic arborisations  the surface of the
cortex  the molecular layer
 The dendritic arborisations:
 flattened and oriented at right angles to the long axis of the
folium.
 tranversed by numerous parallel fibres, from which they
receive excitatory synaptic input
 Inhibitory modulation of intracortical circuitry is
provided by numerous other neurones known as
Golgi, basket and stellate cells
 The axons of the Purkinje cells  the only axons to
leave the cerebellar cortex  most of these fibres end
in the deep cerebellar nuclei.
 Purkinje cells utilise GABA  output of the whole of
the cerebellar cortex  the inhibition of cells in the
cerebellar nuclei.
 Cerebellar
Nuclei

4 pairs of nuclei
(medial to
lateral):
 Fastigal nucleus
 Globose nucleus
 Emboliform
nucleus
 Dentate nucleus

Atlas of Human Anantomy, Netter,2007

 Cerebellar Nuclei

 Also receive extracerebellar afferent  vestibular

nuclei, reticular nuclei, pontine nuclei, and
spinocerebellar tracts, predominantly by means of
collateral of mossy fibres destined for the
cerebellar cortex
 Receive dense innervation from the purkinje cells
 Cerebellar Nuclei

 Constitute the primary source of efferent fibres

from the cerebellum to other part of the brain
 Efferent fibres  the reticular and vestibular
nuclei of the medulla and pons, the red nucleus of
midbrain and the ventral lateral nucleus of the
thalamus
 The Dentate nucleus

 The largest of the cerebellar nuclei  can be

discerned clearly with the naked eye
 Consists of a thin layer of nerve cells folded into a
crinkled bag  it appears somewhat similar to the
inferior olivary nucleus of the medulla, from which it
receives, afferent fibres.
 Functional
Anatomy of The
Cerebellum
 Archicerebellum
 Paleocerebellum
 Neocerebellum

www.google.com/imgres
 Archicerebellum

 Oldest portion in phylogenetic terms

 Consist: Flocculonodular lobe + associated fastigial
nuclei
 Function: maintenance of balance (equilibrium)
 Has extensive connection with the vestibular and
reticular nuclei of the brain stem, through the
inferior cerebellar peduncles
 Vestibular information is carried from the vestibular
nuclei  the cortex of ipsilateral flocculonodular
lobe
 Cortical efferent fibres project to the fastigal nucleus
 projects back to the vestibular nuclei and the
reticular formation
 A significant proportion of fastigal efferent cross to
the contralateral side of the brainstem
 Influence the lower motor system bilateral and
principally mediated by means of descending
vestibulospinal and reticulospinal projections
Neuroanatomy, an illustrated colour text, 2010
 Paleocerebellum

 Consist: Midline vermis, surrounding paravermis, globose

and emboliform nuclei
 Influences muscle tone and posture
 Afferent fibre:
 Carry information from muscle, joint and cutaneus
receptors
 Terminate largely in the cortex of ipsilateral vermis and
adjacent paravermis
 Dorsal spinocerebellar tract  the inferior peduncle
cerebellum
 Ventral spinocerebellar tract the superior cerebellar
peduncle  cerebellum
 Efferent: pass to globose, emboliform, fastigial nuclei
the superior cerebellar peduncle  the
contralateral red nucleus of the midbrain  the
rubrospinal tract
Neuroanatomy, an illustrated colour text, 2010
 Neocerebellum

 Consist: the cerebellar hemisphere & the

dentate nuclei
 Concerned with muscular coordination 
the trajectory, speed and force of
movements
Afferent pathway:

 the pontine nuclei (in the basal of the pons)

 cross to opposite side the cerebellum
middle peduncle  pontocerebellar fibres 
lateral parts of the cerebellar hemisphere
 Pontocerebellar neurones are influenced
by widespread regions of the cerebral
cortex the planning and execution of
movement
Efferent pathway:

the neocerebellar cortex  dentate nucleus  the

superior cerebellar peduncle  decussate in the
caudal midbrain (just before reaching the red
nucleus )
>>> directly to the ventral lateral
relay in the red thalamus
nucleus with
rubrothalamic
cells the motor cortex of the frontal lobe

corticospinal and corticobulbar

pathways
 Lesions of the Cerebellum:

 Incoordination of upper limbs (intention tremor)

 Lower limbs (cerebellar ataxia)
 Speech (Dysarthria)
 Eyes (Nystagmus)
 Midline lesion of the cerebellum

 Such as a tumour
 Loss of the postural control  impossible to
stand/sit without toppling over
 Preserved coordination of the limbs
 Unilateral cerebellar hemisphere lesion

 The pattern of ipsilateral and decussated pathways

that enter and leave the cerebellumIpsilateral
incoordination of the arm (intention tremor)
and of the leg  an unsteady gait (in the absence
of weakness or sensory loss)
 Contrast to cerebral lesions (e.g. Cerebral
cortex, internal capsule or basal ganglia) 
contralateral symptoms
 Lesion of the Cerebellum

 Bilateral dysfunction caused by:

 Alcoholic intoxication

 Hypothyroidism

 Inherited cerebellar degeneration/ataxia

 Multiple scl;erosis

 Paraneoplastic disease

 Bilateral dysfunction  dysarthria, incoordination

of both arms and a staggering, unsteady gait
(cerebellar ataxia)
 Lesion of the Cerebellum

 Cerebellar lession also impair coordination

of eye movements and the eyes exhibit a to
and fro motion (nystagmus)  very
common feature of multiple sclerosis
 ‘Charcot’s triad’ :
 nystagmus

 dysarthria
 intention tremor