Cerebellar lesions disrupt spatial and temporal visual attention

Abstract

2 Cerebellar contributions to spatial and non-spatial attention ABSTRACTThe current study represents the first comprehensive examination of spatial, temporal and sustained attention following cerebellar damage. Results indicated that, compared to controls, cerebellar damage eliminated the onset of inhibition of return (IOR) during the reflexive covert attention task, and reduced the ability to detect successive targets during an attentional blink task.However, cerebellar damage had no effect on voluntary covert attention or the sustained attention to response task (SART). Lesion overlay analysis indicated that impaired performance on IOR and the attentional blink were associated with damage to Crus II and lobule VII (tuber) and VIII (pyramis) of the left posterior cerebellum. Critically, subsequent analyses indicated our results are not due to either general motor impairments or to damage to the deep cerebellar nuclei. Collectively these data demonstrate, for the first time, that the same cerebellar regions are involved in both spatial and temporal visual attention. Furthermore, these data suggest that damage to the cerebellum may induce a form of "attentional dysmetria," such that performance suffers under conditions in which the rapid deployment of attention (either spatial or temporal) is required.

The cerebellum and cognitive neural networks

“…The rationale behind this investigation was the potential functional association between damaged cerebellar regions and the dorsal and ventral attentional networks. The study revealed that patients with cerebellar damage exhibited impairments in the allocation of spatio-temporal attention (Craig et al, 2021). In a similar vein, Wang et al (2021) enrolled 36 patients with posterior cerebellar infarction and 30 healthy volunteers for cognitive neurofunctional assessment and MRI scans to extract parameters related to the structural topological features of brain networks.…”

“…These findings suggest that lesions in the cerebellum can specifically impair the orienting function of the attentional network. Craig et al (2021) conducted a study examining attentional function in 14 patients with cerebellar infarction. The rationale behind this investigation was the potential functional association between damaged cerebellar regions and the dorsal and ventral attentional networks.…”

Human Cerebellum Gangliosides: A Comprehensive Analysis by Ion Mobility Tandem Mass Spectrometry

“…2 Previous studies revealed the engagement of the cerebellum in a variety of processes, including motor functions such as maintaining body equilibrium, controlling muscle tension, and coordinating deliberate movements, as well as cognitive activities, emotional experiences, and social interactions. 3,4 Damage to the cerebellum frequently leads to impairment, which impacts (i) the visuospatial abilities, attention, in particular focusing attention on space and time; 5 (ii) executive functions such as inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning, reasoning, and decision-making; 5−9 (iii) the working memory affecting comprehension, reading, and learning; 2 (iv) language skills, including issues related to the timing, adaptation, prediction, planning, fluency, grammar, or even speech disruptions. 2 Also, the cerebellar dysfunctions induced by modifications at the molecular level 10 represent the basis of the common pathological conditions such as Parkinson's disease (PD), 11 Huntington disease (HD), 12 Alzheimer's disease (AD), 13 and multiple sclerosis (MS).…”