Cognitive-Affective Functions of the Cerebellum

Abstract

The cerebellum, traditionally associated with motor coordination and balance, also plays a crucial role in various aspects of higher-order function and dysfunction. Emerging research has shed light on the cerebellum's broader contributions to cognitive, emotional, and reward processes. The cerebellum's influence on autonomic function further highlights its significance in regulating motivational and emotional states. Perturbations in cerebellar development and function have been implicated in various neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. An increasing appreciation for neuropsychiatric symptoms that arise from cerebellar dysfunction underscores the importance of elucidating the circuit mechanisms that underlie complex interactions between the cerebellum and other brain regions for a comprehensive understanding of complex behavior. By briefly discussing new advances in mapping cerebellar function in affective, cognitive, autonomic, and social processing and reviewing the role of the cerebellum in neuropathology beyond the motor domain, this Mini-Symposium review aims to provide a broad perspective of cerebellar intersections with the limbic brain in health and disease.

Figure 1.

Efferent and afferent cerebellar pathways implicated in cognition and emotion. A, Sagittal sections of mouse brain (left, mid-sagittal, ML: 0 mm; right, parasagittal, ML: 1.6 mm), indicating anatomic location of color-matched brain areas in the connectivity maps in B, C. B, C, Efferent (B) and afferent (C) pathways for cerebello-limbic function. Solid lines indicate direct connections. Dotted lines indicate indirect or not yet fully established connections. ML: mediolateral.