Signs and Symptoms
The most common signs and symptoms of an acute cerebellar infarction are dizziness and/or vertigo, ataxia, difficulty with static sitting, nausea, vomiting, and dysarthria (Jensen and St. Louis, 2005)
Other signs and symptoms are dependent upon which area of the cerebellum is affected.
Classically the cerebellum is broken up into three functional regions: the vestibulocerebellum, spinocerebellum, and cerebrocerebellum (Lundy-Ekman, 2007).
Vestibulocerebellum: Is responsible for coordinating eye and head movements that allow us to maintain a state of equilibrium. An infarction in this area can cause nystagmus and other abnormal eye movements. Additionally, an infarct could lead to disequilibrium and difficulty maintaining static sitting balance.
Spinocerebellum: Is responsible for regulating gross limb movements. An infarction in this area could lead to an ataxic gait or limb leading to dysdiadochokinesia, dysmetria, or action tremor.
Cerebrocerebellum: Is responsible for coordination, planning, and timing of voluntary movements. An infarct in this area classically leads to dysarthria (slurred, poorly articulated speech). (Schoch et. al, 2006, Lundy-Ekman, 2007)
Clinical Pearl: Although a CVA can effect many parts of the cerebellum the key clinical finding will be gait/limb ataxia (Lundy-Ekman, 2007).
The most common signs and symptoms of an acute cerebellar infarction are dizziness and/or vertigo, ataxia, difficulty with static sitting, nausea, vomiting, and dysarthria (Jensen and St. Louis, 2005)
Other signs and symptoms are dependent upon which area of the cerebellum is affected.
Classically the cerebellum is broken up into three functional regions: the vestibulocerebellum, spinocerebellum, and cerebrocerebellum (Lundy-Ekman, 2007).
Vestibulocerebellum: Is responsible for coordinating eye and head movements that allow us to maintain a state of equilibrium. An infarction in this area can cause nystagmus and other abnormal eye movements. Additionally, an infarct could lead to disequilibrium and difficulty maintaining static sitting balance.
Spinocerebellum: Is responsible for regulating gross limb movements. An infarction in this area could lead to an ataxic gait or limb leading to dysdiadochokinesia, dysmetria, or action tremor.
Cerebrocerebellum: Is responsible for coordination, planning, and timing of voluntary movements. An infarct in this area classically leads to dysarthria (slurred, poorly articulated speech). (Schoch et. al, 2006, Lundy-Ekman, 2007)
Clinical Pearl: Although a CVA can effect many parts of the cerebellum the key clinical finding will be gait/limb ataxia (Lundy-Ekman, 2007).