cerebellum
- Key People:
- Robert Bárány
cerebellum, section of the brain that coordinates sensory input with muscular responses, located just below and behind the cerebral hemispheres and above the medulla oblongata.
The cerebellum integrates nerve impulses from the labyrinths of the ear and from positional sensors in the muscles; cerebellar signals then determine the extent and timing of contraction of individual muscle fibres to make fine adjustments in maintaining balance and posture and to produce smooth, coordinated movements of large muscle masses in voluntary motions.
Like the cerebrum, the cerebellum is divided into two lateral hemispheres, which are connected by a medial part called the vermis. Each of the hemispheres consists of a central core of white matter and a surface cortex of gray matter and is divided into three lobes. The flocculonodular lobe, the first section of cerebellum to evolve, receives sensory input from the vestibules of the ear; the anterior lobe receives sensory input from the spinal cord; and the posterior lobe, the last to evolve, receives nerve impulses from the cerebrum. All of these nerve impulses are integrated within the cerebellar cortex. Three paired bundles of nerve fibres relay information to and from the cerebellum—the superior, middle, and inferior peduncles—which connect the cerebellum with the midbrain, pons, and medulla, respectively.
Functionally, the cerebellar cortex is divided into three layers: an outer synaptic layer (also called the molecular layer), an intermediate discharge layer (the Purkinje layer), and an inner receptive layer (the granular layer). Sensory input from different types of receptors is conveyed to specific regions of the receptive layer, which is made up of numerous small nerve cells that project axons into the synaptic layer. There the axons excite the dendrites of the Purkinje cells, which in turn project axons to portions of the four intrinsic nuclei (known as the dentate, globose, emboliform, and fastigial nuclei) and upon dorsal portions of the lateral vestibular nucleus. Most Purkinje cells use the neurotransmitter GABA and therefore exert strong inhibitory influences upon the cells that receive their terminals. As a result, all sensory input into the cerebellum results in inhibitory impulses’ being exerted upon the deep cerebellar nuclei and parts of the vestibular nucleus. Cells of all deep cerebellar nuclei, on the other hand, are excitatory (secreting the neurotransmitter glutamate) and project upon parts of the thalamus, red nucleus, vestibular nuclei, and reticular formation.
Injuries or disease affecting the cerebellum usually produce neuromuscular disturbances, in particular ataxia, or disruptions of coordinated limb movements. The loss of integrated muscular control may cause tremors and difficulty in standing.