The Cerebellum and the Brain Stem

The cerebellum

The cerebellum lies at the back of the cerebrum and is of central importance to our coordination of movements.

The cerebellum lies like a yarn key behind the brain stem under the cerebrum. Although the cerebellum is smaller than the cerebrum, it contains several nerve cells that almost exclusively coordinate body movements. When the brain provides a signal to a muscle group, such as the legs, for it to move, the signals first pass through the cerebellum, which ensures that the movements are precisely coordinated and smooth.

Therefore, cerebellar disease causes uncoordinated, jerky movements (ataxia), balance and gait problems. The most common dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease rarely attack the cerebellum.

The brain stem

The brain stem is the part of the brain that connects the cerebrum and the cerebellum to the spinal cord. Thus, through the brainstem, the long nerve pathways run, which sends impulses to the muscles of the body and sensory impressions from the body back to the brain. The brain stem also contains a number of vital nerve centers that support, among other things, primitive reflexes, breathing, body temperature and stage of wake. The muscles and senses of the face are connected to the brain through the brain stem via the cranial nerves.