Cerebellum and psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this update article is to report structural and functional neuroimaging studies exploring the potential role of cerebellum in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Method: A non-systematic literature review was conducted by means of Medline using the following terms as a parameter : "cerebellum", "cerebellar vermis", "schizophrenia", "bipolar disorder", "depression", "anxiety disorders", "dementia" and "attention

Molecular, Functional, and Structural Imaging of Major Depressive Disorder

“…Moreover, the decreased metabolism in the basal ganglia, limbic system, and insula might be compensated by increased metabolism in the thalamus and cerebellum, in line with the hypothesis proposed in a previous study [98]. However, it is notable that the metabolic alterations in these regions have been reported in other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia [99], autism [100], and bipolar disorder [101]. Therefore, further studies are required to investigate the specific dysfunctional regions involved in MDD.…”

Cerebellar volume in patients with dementia

“…Although several causes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlie the clinical presentation of different types of dementia, neuroimaging studies have confirmed some common findings such as atrophy of certain brain structures or even global brain atrophy and progressive impairment of different cognitive domains. 10 In AD, for example, temporal lobe volume reduction is observed even at early stages of the disease, and hippocampal reduction can be observed before the first symptoms manifest. 29 Previous studies have reported cerebellar abnormalities in dementia.…”

“…8,9 There is strong evidence that the cerebellum not only modulates important motor functions, but also plays a significant role in the operation of cognitive functions, emotional processing, and behavior. 10,11 From this perspective, the cerebellum exerts a regulatory function that enhances and supplements other brain functions, throughout direct and indirect circuits. 10,11 In AD, diffuse plaques are commonly found in fibrillar and thioflavinpositive cells of the granular layer and Purkinje cells in the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex.…”

“…10,11 From this perspective, the cerebellum exerts a regulatory function that enhances and supplements other brain functions, throughout direct and indirect circuits. 10,11 In AD, diffuse plaques are commonly found in fibrillar and thioflavinpositive cells of the granular layer and Purkinje cells in the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex. 12,13 It has been suggested that neuronal loss in the cerebellum, such as decreases in granule cell numbers and volumetric loss in the molecular layer, may be the result of primary pathologic changes in the cerebral cortex, a process called diaschisis.…”

“…10 There is a lack of studies examining the cerebellar volume in patients with AD. In this study, we analyzed the volume of the cerebellum and its subregions in subjects with AD, MCI, and in healthy control subjects.…”