Lesions - Cerebellum

Speech disturbances

• can be found in both unilateral and bilateral damage to the cerebellum

Rebound Phenomenon

• resistance is applied to the leg as it moves, and when it is removed, the leg moves a short distance to the desired direction and jerks or rebounds to the opposite direction

General Dysfunction

• Preserved conscious sensation

• Ipsilateral incoordination

• Dysarthric or scanning speech (jerky, explosive, loud, slurred)

• Possible nystagmus (eyes make repetitive movement)

• Hypotonia (decreased muscle tone)

• Sluggish and pendular deep tendon reflexes

Midline Zone Dysfunction

• Disorders of stance and gait

  • Wide BOS

  • Unable to do tandem walk (walk from heel to toe)

• Titubation (head swaying / tremor)

• Rotated or tilted postures of the head

• Ocular motor disorders (Strabismus or Nystagmus)

• No asynergia (inability to combine various aspects of movement to do fluid motion; robotic) or tremors

Romberg Test

• Dysfunction presents when client is unable to maintain an upright position when eyes are closed

Lateral Zone Dysfunction

• Concerned about the fluidity of movements

• Decomposition of movement

• Hypotonia

• Dysarthria

• Dysdiadochokinesia / Adiadochokinesia

• Intention tremors

• Dysmetria

Dysdiadochokinesia

• Abnormal performance/difficulty in rapid alternating movement (such as finger tapping, supination and pronation, etc.)

Adiadochokinesia

• inability to completely move or perform repetitive movements

Intention tremors

• Tremors are triggered during deliberate or purposive  movements (movements where you have to think about what you intend to do)

• When finger to object test is performed, a client has trembling finger aiming at the object and stops once the finger is already at the object

Dysmetria

• Inability to control distance, speed, pressure (force) of movement

• meaning something that involves measurements