The role of the cerebellum in the regulation of language functions

Abstract

The present paper is a review of studies on the role of the cerebellum in the regulation of language functions. This brain structure until recently associated chiefly with motor skills, visual-motor coordination and balance, proves to be significant also for cognitive functioning. With regard to language functions, studies show that the cerebellum determines verbal fluency (both semantic and formal) expressive and receptive grammar processing, the ability to identify and correct language mistakes, and writing skills. Cerebellar damage is a possible cause of aphasia or the cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS). Decreased cerebellocortical connectivity as well as anomalies in the structure of the cerebellum are emphasized in numerous developmental dyslexia theories. The cerebellum is characterized by linguistic lateralization. From the neuroanatomical perspective, its right hemisphere and dentate nucleus, having multiple cerebellocortical connections with the cerebral cortical language areas, are particularly important for language functions. Usually, language deficits developed as a result of a cerebellar damage have subclinical intensity and require applying sensitive neuropsychological diagnostic tools designed to assess higher verbal functions.

The Role of Moderating Variables on BOLD fMRI Response During Semantic Verbal Fluency and Finger Tapping in Active and Educated Healthy Seniors

“…Cerebellar areas were also activated, which has been reported during covert and overt production of semantic verbal fluency (Gurd et al, 2002;Nagels et al, 2012). Specifically, the right cerebellum was involved during verbal fluency performance, which is in agreement with previous research (Starowicz-Filip et al, 2017). In the older group, we found that there were fewer areas recruited during semantic fluency as compared to the younger group; however, there were also additional activations.…”

Asymmetries of total arterial supply of cerebral hemispheres do not exist

“…Another interpretation is also possible: if the lateralization of the brain functions were such that exactly half of all functions were located in the left and another half in the right hemisphere, then the blood flow, and the cross-sectional areas of arteries to both hemispheres would be the same. Some of the human functions such as language, handedness, logical reasoning have been generally accepted to be located in the left hemisphere [3, 11, 14, 37, 38, 39] in most people and the left occipital petalia present in most human beings were cited as an indication of the enlargement of the left hemisphere.…”

Effects of age-related hearing loss and hearing aid experience on sentence processing

“…Whereas some of these regions are related to the speech processing network, specifically the central operculum in the inferior frontal gyrus 10,58 , the majority of these regions are not typically associated with speech processing-although connections to speech processing regions by means of for example the fronto-occipital fasciculus exist 10 . The cerebellum has previously been associated with regulating language 59 , auditory processing 60,61 and more specifically processing of auditory complex sentences 34,62 . Similarly, whereas typically associated with visual processing, occipital areas have previously been associated with auditory processing 12,28,34,63,64 -although most of these studies 12,34,63,64 found peak activities located in the inferior rather than the middle occipital gyrus.…”