Cerebellum

The cerebellum is a part of the brain. There, the cerebellum is located posterior to the brainstem and is positioned, separated by the tentorium, below the occipital lobes of the cerebrum in the posterior cranial fossa. Together with the medulla oblongata (myelencephalon) and the pons, it forms the rhombencephalon. The cerebellum and pons are collectively referred to as the metencephalon.

Anatomy

The cerebellum is connected to the rest of the central nervous system through the three cerebellar peduncles.

Cerebellar Nuclei

The cerebellum contains four nuclei:

• Nucleus dentatus

• Nucleus emboliformis

• Nucleus globosus

• Nucleus fastigii

Blood Supply

The cerebellum is supplied with blood by the three cerebellar arteries:

• Arteria cerebelli superior (SCA)

• Arteria cerebelli anterior inferior (AICA)

• Arteria cerebelli posterior inferior (PICA)

Clinical Relevance

Lesions in the cerebellar hemisphere cause ipsilateral ataxia of the extremities. A lesion in the vermis of the cerebellum causes truncal ataxia[^1].

Illustration

Imaging