The cerebellum: the brain's engine of agility
Wickelgren, I.
Science 281(5383): 1588-1590
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 9767021 Document Number: 484577
Neuroscientists have recently begun to unravel how the cerebellum--two apple-sized lobes at the back of the brain with over 100 billion neurons--coordinates complex, multijoint movements. Previously, neurobiologists concentrated on the cerebellum's role in controlling single-joint actions such as a simple flex of an elbow or ankle, but improved technology has allowed the study of complex movements. Studies involving both humans with cerebellar lesions and lab animals demonstrate, for example, that the cerebellum predicts and adjusts for the multiple forces on a limb during a complex movement. Neurophysiologist Jonathan Hore at the University of Western Ontario describes the studies as fascinating; only recently has an insight been gained into what is really involved in making a multijoint movement.