Why Is The Cerebellum So Important?

Anyone that's been into one of our clinics, or has followed any of our social media content, will know that we’re all about the brain! And why wouldn't we be, it controls everything we do! There's one area of the brain in particular that I want to highlight today, it’s an area called the ‘little brain’, or cerebellum. 

The cerebellum is responsible for many things, but one of the most important is the coordination of movement. If a person has a damaged or dysfunctional cerebellum, one of the 

Despite its small size, the cerebellum contains more neurons that all other areas of the brain combine, meaning it has a huge capacity for processing information. 

The cerebellum doesn’t initiate movement of that body, that part happens in the motor cortex. The cerebellum's role is to coordinate the movements, making them as precise and accurate as they can be, so we can move in the way we want to.

The cerebellum also plays a role in cognitive function, meaning it is partly responsible for our attention and language, as well as emotional control with the regulation of fear and pleasure responses. 

To assess the cerebellum, we need to look at how well a person can perform coordinated movements. We're looking for the consistency of the movement over a period of about 30 seconds. It's usually tested with eyes closed so that we can't rely on our visual senses to override any potential deficit in cerebellar function. If a person is unable to maintain rhythm or speed, either on one side of the body or both sides, it gives us an indication as to whether the cerebellum is affecting their overall function.

If someone does have a deficit in their cerebellar function, their movements will appear uncoordinated and erratic. They may move as if they’re intoxicated, or they may be very clumsy and often waking into things. 

The roadside sobriety tests performed by police are designed to assess cerebellar function, as they will highlight a deficit if the person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, although there are many other reasons why the deficit may be present.

Check out the video on our page to see two of the tests we can use to assess how well the cerebellum is functioning.