Donna L. Gruol Noriyuki Koibuchi Mario Manto Marco - Essentials of Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders

Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

Donna L. Gruol 1 , Marco Molinari 5, Jeremy D. Schmahmann 6 and Ying Shen 7

Abstract

The depth and breadth of knowledge regarding cerebellar functions in health and disease continue to grow exponentially. Most of the currently available books dealing with the cerebellum and its disorders are highly specialized, usually written for neurologists with a particular interest in the cerebellar disorders. The four-volume Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders (Springer 2013) is the most comprehensive monograph on the cerebellum published to date covering both fundamental and clinical aspects. As valuable a resource as this has proven to be, however, the treatise is too extensive for students, and not practical as a brief, authoritative overview of the subject. The editors therefore concluded that there is a compelling need to distill the vast amount of basic science and clinical information in the four-volume text into a clear and concise prcis of the work accessible to clinicians and students. Hence, this work, Essentials of the Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders.

Keywords

The depth and breadth of knowledge regarding cerebellar functions in health and disease continue to grow exponentially. Most of the currently available books dealing with the cerebellum and its disorders are highly specialized, usually written for neurologists with a particular interest in the cerebellar disorders. The four-volume Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders (Springer 2013) is the most comprehensive monograph on the cerebellum published to date on fundamental and clinical aspects. As valuable a resource as this has proven to be, however, the treatise is too extensive for students, and not practical as a brief, authoritative overview of the subject. The editors therefore concluded that there is a compelling need to distill the vast amount of basic science and clinical information in the four-volume text into a clear and concise prcis of the work accessible to clinicians and students. Hence, this work, Essentials of the Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders.

The editors of Essentials have selected what we believe to be major topics with direct scientific and clinical implications for understanding cerebellar anatomy, physiology, clinical neurology, and management of cerebellar disorders. With this monograph, we hope to foster a deeper understanding of the most important aspects of the complex phenomena that characterize cerebellar neurology. In so doing, we hope to encourage students to further explore its many facets, ranging from ataxiology (the study of cerebellar motor disorders) to the cognitive neuroscience of the cerebellum and its connections.

The pocket format of the book makes it readily available for consultation. The chapters are arranged in eleven sections covering fundamental, translational and clinical aspects of the cerebellum and cerebellar disorders. The length of each chapter is approximately four printed pages, enabling the reader to review the necessary information rapidly and efficiently. Critical references provided at the end of each chapter can be consulted for more in-depth information.

The editors are grateful for the outstanding contributions to this work by the renowned international panel of experts in some of the premier clinical centers, universities, and research centers in the USA, Europe, and Asia. We hope that this concise volume achieves its purpose of stimulating students, trainees, and practitioners to enhance their knowledge of the cerebellum and its disorders, and promote further clinical and scientific exploration in the field.

Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

Jeremy D. Schmahmann 1

(1)

Abstract

Cerebellar structure and function have intrigued investigators and clinicians for millennia. Major anatomic features were recognized early, and the role of the cerebellum in coordinating movements was established two centuries ago. Cerebellar involvement in nonmotor functions was described in clinical and experimental observations starting around the same time, but attention to their importance rose to the fore only recently. Functional localization was first derived from comparative morphology. Ablation degeneration and physiological studies in animals and neurological observations in patients with focal injury led to the lobular theory of organization. This was refined by delineation of the mediolateral parasagittal zonal organization of cerebellar connections. Histological studies date back to Cajal, with descriptions of additional neuronal elements and circuitry evolving over the years. Recognition of the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome and the neuropsychiatry of the cerebellum, observations from connectional neuroanatomy, and advances in anatomic, task-based, and functional connectivity magnetic resonance neuroimaging provide contemporary support for the earliest notions that cerebellum is engaged in a wide range of neurological functions. Together with new theories of cerebellar function, and elucidation of the genetic basis of inherited or sporadic ataxias and neurobehavioral disorders, the cerebellum has become increasingly relevant to contemporary clinical neurology and neuropsychiatry.

Keywords