EM2 Cerebellum Groups 9 17 Huzella Dobolyi

Microscopy of the cerebellum,
pathways. Functional considerations
Árpád Dobolyi
Semmelweis University, Department of Anatomy, Histology

and Embryology
Parts of cerebellum
One possible division: vermis located in the middle +
cerebellar hemispheres located on both sides of the vermis
Another possible division: cerebellar cortex, which can be

divided into 10 cerebellar lobes separated by deep, parallel
cerebellar fissures. The lobes are further folded by less deep,
parallel grooves called cerebellar folias.
+ cerebellar nuclei: gray matter located deep into the
cerebellum
+ cerebellar peduncles: white mater tracts with afferent
(incoming) fibers reaching the cerebellar cortex and
efferent (outgoing) fibers leaving the cerebellar nuclei
View of the cerebellum from the brainstem
Cerebellar peduncles
Cerebellar nuclei
A near horizontal section of the cerebellum:
Mediosagittal section of the cerebellum
Microscopic layers of the cerebellar cortex
Cell types of the cerebellar cortex
Cell bodies of cerebellar basket cells
Axons and dendritic trees of Purkinje
cells
Morphology of the cells in the
cerebellar cortex
Excitatory cells (the granule

cells) and fibers, such as
granule cell axons (parallel
fibers) and the incoming
axons (mossy and climbing
fibers) are red.
Bergmann glia – the special astrocytic glial cell of
the cerebellum
Inputs
(climbing and
mossy fibers)
and
outputs of
cerebellar
cortex
Structural model of cerebellar glomerulus
Components of the layers of cerebellar cortex
Molecular layer
cell bodies: basket and stellate cells
dendrites: Purkinje, basket, stellate, and Golgi cells
axons: granule, basket and stellate neurons, climbing fibers
Purkinje cell layer

cell body: Purkinje cell
dendrites: Passing dendrites of Golgi cells
axons: basket cells, passing axons of granule cells and climbing fibers
Granule cell layer

cell bodies: granule and Golgi cells
dendrites: granule and Golgi cells
axons: Golgi cell axons, mossy fibers, ascending granule cell axons,
passing climbing fibers, and Purkinje cell axons
Connections of the cells of the cerebellar cortex
Cell type Layer Character Target neuron
Projection neuron
Purkinje cell Purkinje cell layer inhibitory neurons in deep cerebellar

and vestibular nuclei
Interneurons
Granule cells granule layer excitatory Purkinje, stellate-,

basket- and Golgi cells
Basket cells molecular layer inhibitory Purkinje cells

(feed-forward)
Stellate cells molecular layer inhibitory Purkinje cells

(feed-forward)
Golgi cells granule layer inhibitory granule cells

(feed-back)
Excitatory and inhibitory actions of the parallel
fibers of the granule cells
Functional unit of the cerebellar cortex: a line of
Purkinje cells activated by parallel fibers with
surrounding inhibited Purkinje cells
Climbing fibers activate individual Purkinje cells. If it coincides with
activation by parallel fibers, the cells undergo prolonged inhibition by
long-term depression: a proposed mechanism of motor learning
Output of the cerebellum is a negative mirror of the
activity of Purkinje cells of the cerebellar cortex
Cerebellar pathways and their
connections with different parts of
the cerebellum
Afferent pathways of the cerebellum
Pathways terminating in mossy fibers:
Pontocerebellar tract – crossed pathway in the middle cerebellar peduncle
conveying information to the cerebellum from frontal, occipital and temporal
lobes of the cerebral cortex
Vestibulocerebellar tract – uncrossed pathway in the inferior cerebellar
peduncle carrying primary vestibular fibers as well as fibers from the medial
and inferior vestibular nuclei
Spinocerebellar afferents (detailed in the next slide)
Pathways terminating in climbing fibers:

Olivocerebellar tract – crossed pathway in the superior cerebellar peduncle
conveying input to the cerebellum via the inferior olive from the cerebral
cortex, thalamus, red nucleus, vestibular nuclei and the spinal cord
Monoaminergic afferents:
Uncrossed noradrenergic fibers from the locus coeruleus and serotonergic
fibers from the raphe nuclei in the superior and inferior cerebellar peduncles
Spinocerebellar afferent pathways
Dorsal/posterior spinocerebellar
tract (Flechsig)
Uncrossed pathway in the inferior
cerebellar peduncle originating in
the nucleus dorsalis (Clarke
nucleus) of the spinal cord to
convey proprioceptive and epicritic
sensibility from the lower body part
to the cerebellum
Ventral/anterior spinocerebellar tract (Gowers)

Crossed pathway in the superior cerebellar peduncle conveying information on motor orders
to the lower body part to the cerebellum from premotor interneurons of the spinal cord
Cuneocerebellar tract
Uncrossed pathway in the inferior cerebellar peduncle originating in the external (or
accessory) cuneate nucleus to convey proprioceptive and epicritic sensibility from the upper
body part to the cerebellum.
Rostral spinocerebellar tract

Crossed pathway in the superior cerebellar peduncle conveying information on motor orders
to the upper body part to the cerebellum from premotor interneurons of the brainstem
Division of the cerebellum based on the
origin of inputs and filogenetic development
Outputs of vestibulocerebellum
Outputs of spinocerebellum from the vermis
(cerebelloreticular and cerebellovestibular tracts)
Outputs of the
cerebellum originating
in the hemispheres
(cerebellorubral and
cerebellothalamic tracts)
Summary of targets of Purkinje cells
Afferent and efferent pathways in the cerebellar peduncles
Superior cerebellar peduncle:

ventral spinocerebellar tract (Gowers)
rostral spinocerebellar tract
cerebellothalamic tract
cerebellorubral tract
Middle cerebellar peduncle:

pontocerebellar tract
Inferior cerebellar peduncle:

olivocerebellar tract (the only pathway with climbing fibers)
dorsal spinocerebellar tract (Flechsig)
cuneocerebellar tract
vestibulocerebellar tract
cerebellovestibular tract
cerebelloreticular tract
Functional divisions of the cerebellum
Anatomical Incoming Relay Termination Function
regions information nucleus
Vestibulocerebellum flocculonodular vestibular lateral spinal and eye movement,

lobe labyrinth vestibular eye movement neck muscles,
motoneurons body balance
vermis vestibular fastigial vestibular nuclei, muscle tone,

nuclei, reticular formation posture,
spinal coordination of
cord trunk muscles
Spinocerebellum
intermedier spinal cord interpose red nucleus (magno- execution of

cortex cellular), movements,
thalamus (VL) - coordination of
motor cortex limbs
Cerebrocerebellum lateral cortex cerebral dentate thalamus (VL) - initiation of

cortex motor cortex, movements,
red nucleus (parvo- temporal planning
cellular) of movements,
cognitive functions
Thank you for
your attention!

EM2 Cerebellum Groups 9 17 Huzella Dobolyi

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

EM2 Cerebellum Groups 9 17 Huzella Dobolyi

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

EM2 Cerebellum Groups 9 17 Huzella Dobolyi

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Microscopy of the cerebellum,

pathways. Functional considerations

Semmelweis University, Department of Anatomy, Histology

Another possible division: cerebellar cortex, which can be

Excitatory cells (the granule

Purkinje cell layer

Granule cell layer

Cell type Layer Character Target neuron

Purkinje cell Purkinje cell layer inhibitory neurons in deep cerebellar

Granule cells granule layer excitatory Purkinje, stellate-,

Basket cells molecular layer inhibitory Purkinje cells

Stellate cells molecular layer inhibitory Purkinje cells

Golgi cells granule layer inhibitory granule cells

Pathways terminating in climbing fibers:

Ventral/anterior spinocerebellar tract (Gowers)

Rostral spinocerebellar tract

Superior cerebellar peduncle:

Middle cerebellar peduncle:

Inferior cerebellar peduncle:

Vestibulocerebellum flocculonodular vestibular lateral spinal and eye movement,

vermis vestibular fastigial vestibular nuclei, muscle tone,

intermedier spinal cord interpose red nucleus (magno- execution of

Cerebrocerebellum lateral cortex cerebral dentate thalamus (VL) - initiation of

You might also like