Cerebellar disease

Question 1

Do unilateral cerebellar lesions cause ipsilateral or bilateral symptoms?

Answer 1

Ipsilateral symptoms

Question 2

What are the 6 features of cerebellar disease, and what do they mean?

Answer 2

• Dysdiadochokinesia - inability to perform rapid alternating hand movements
• Ataxia - group of disorders that affect coordination, balance and speech
• Nystagmus - involuntary eye movements
• Intention tremor - tremor when commencing purposeful movement toward a target
• Slurred staccato speech
• Hypotonia - decreased muscle tone

Question 3

1) Lesions to the cerebellar vermis typically cause ataxia where and what other symptom?
2) Lesions to the cerebellar hemisphere cause ataxia where?

Answer 3

1) Trunc and gait instability
2) Ipsilateral limb

Question 4

Name 2 causes of cerebellar disease

Answer 4

• Friedreich’s ataxia
• Stroke
• Alcohol
• MS
• Drugs i.e. phenytoin, lead poisoning