The Cerebellum and Cognitive Function: 25 Years of Insight from Anatomy and Neuroimaging

• Published in: Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2013-10, Vol.80 (3), p.807-815
• Main Author: Buckner, Randy L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal cognition; Brain; Cerebellum - anatomy & histology; Cerebellum - physiology; Cognition - physiology; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Medical imaging; Neural Pathways - anatomy & histology; Neural Pathways - physiology; Neuroanatomy - history; Neuroanatomy - methods; Neuroimaging - history; Neuroimaging - methods; Studies
• ISSN: 0896-6273; 1097-4199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.10.044

Twenty-five years ago the first human functional neuroimaging studies of cognition discovered a surprising response in the cerebellum that could not be attributed to motor demands. This controversial observation challenged the well-entrenched view that the cerebellum solely contributes to the planning and execution of movement. Recurring neuroimaging findings combined with key insights from anatomy and case studies of neurological patients motivated a reconsideration of the traditional model of cerebellar organization and function. The majority of the human cerebellum maps to cerebral association networks in an orderly manner that includes a mirroring of the prominent cerebral asymmetries for language and attention. These findings inspire exploration of the cerebellum’s contributions to a diverse array of functional domains and neuropsychiatric disorders. Randy Buckner provides a case study for how human neuroimaging methodologies have brought new insights to understanding human cognition. New neuroimaging and neuroanatomical tools combined with serendipitous discovery led to a surprising re-envisioning of the human cerebellum from contributing exclusively to motor planning and execution to a broader role in cognition.