Functions


Lat. Zone

Interm. Zone

Med/Floc

Olive

Problems


Contents

Anatomy

 

 

MEDIAL ZONE AND FLOCCULONODULAR LOBE

The medial zone receives mainly dorsal spinocerebellar and cuneocerebellar information. No comparisons of the intended and actual movements occur here. Loss of fastigial excitatory drive to the ipsilateral vestibular nuclei will mean that the opposite vestibular nuclei are dominating. You know what that means as far as stumbling and nystagmus. CLUE-ipsilatral stumbling and contralateral nystagmus.

The influence of the vestibulocerebellum (flocculonodular lobe) on the vestibular nuclei also plays a role in posture and balance. Remember that the Purkinje cells in the flocculonodular lobe are inhibiting the vestibular nuclei (while neurons in the fastigial nucleus are exciting them). Therefore a lesion of the right vestibular zone (or lobe) will "release" the right vestibular nuclei from inhibition. Thus the right vestibular nuclei are in dominance. You can take it from here regarding the directions of stumbling and nystagmus. Please!!!

A classic sign of cerebellar damage is a decrease in tone (hypotonia). While this hypotonia is thought to result from malfunctioning of the descending control over the gamma efferent system, I will not discuss this any further.

Finally, there is incoordination of speech following cerebellar damage. This is called dysarthria.