What does the cerebellum do?
Scientists started analyzing the cerebellum more than 200 years ago by studying people or animals with cerebellum damage. They found people with this kind of damage usually had trouble keeping their balance while standing or walking, or they’d have trouble reaching for objects because their hands would miss an object they were trying to pick up.
Over time, scientists started finding evidence that cerebellum damage could have other effects. They found that damage could make it harder or for a person to learn new words or skills. Damage to your cerebellum can interfere with judging the size of or distance from objects. It can also affect your sense of timing. As an example, people with damage to their cerebellum may have trouble repeatedly tapping their fingers, causing them to tap too soon or too late from beat-to-beat.
Advances in technology have done even more to improve experts’ understanding of the cerebellum. Now, scientists can image a person’s brain activity while that person does a certain task. What scientists have found (so far) is that different parts of your cerebellum are more active depending on what you’re doing at the time. They’ve also found that your cerebellum plays a role in emotions and how you make decisions.
Can you live without a cerebellum?
There are cases of people born with cerebellar agenesis, which is being born without a cerebellum. This condition is extremely rare. Many people with it have only minor effects. They can walk and have lives that are more or less like anyone else’s. Others have severe symptoms and will need constant medical care for their entire life.
People can also survive injuries or diseases that damage their cerebellum, but it’s common for them to have long-term or permanent issues.
What are some interesting facts about the cerebellum?
Neurons are specialized cells that make up your nervous system, including your brain, spinal cord and all of your nerves. Your cerebellum is only about 10% of your brain in terms of how much space it takes up. However, it holds about half of all the neurons in your entire body.
Your cerebellum is also incredibly compact. The brain tissue that makes up your cerebellum is a sheet folded up like an accordion. Laid flat, it would be a little over 3 feet long and 4 inches wide (1 meter by 10 centimeters).