Cerebellar Lesions, Cerebellar & BG Pathologies

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms related to cerebellar and basal ganglia motor pathologies.

Asthenia

Generalized muscle weakness.

Cerebellar pathology

Asynergia

Loss of ability to coordinate muscles together for complex movements.

Cerebellar pathology

Delayed reaction time

Increased time required to initiate a voluntary movement.

Cerebellar pathology

Dysarthria

Disorder of the motor component of speech articulation.

Cerebellar pathology

Dysdiadochokinesia

Impaired ability to perform rapid alternating movements.

Cerebellar pathology

Dysmetria

Inability to judge the distance or range of a movement.

Cerebellar pathology

Dyssynergia

Movement performed in broken component parts rather than as a smooth whole; decomposition of movement.

Cerebellar pathology

Gait disorders (ataxic gait)

Broad-based stance with postural instability and a high-guard position of the upper extremities.

Cerebellar pathology

Hypotonia

Decrease in muscle tone.

Cerebellar pathology

Hypermetria

Overestimation of the distance or range needed to accomplish a movement.

Cerebellar pathology

Hypometria

Underestimation of the distance or range needed to accomplish a movement.

Cerebellar pathology

Nystagmus

Rhythmic, quick, oscillatory, back-and-forth movement of the eyes.

Cerebellar pathology

Rebound phenomenon

Inability to halt forceful movement when resistance is suddenly removed, leading to uncontrolled limb motion.

Cerebellar pathology

Tremor (general)

Involuntary oscillatory movement resulting from alternating contractions of opposing muscle groups.

Cerebellar pathology

Tremor – Intention (kinetic)

Oscillatory movement appearing during voluntary motion that increases as the limb nears the target and is absent at rest.

Cerebellar pathology

Tremor – Postural (static)

Exaggerated oscillatory movement of the body or a limb held against gravity.

Cerebellar pathology

Tremor – Resting

Involuntary, rhythmic, oscillatory movement observed when the body part is at rest.

Cerebellar pathology

Titubation

Rhythmic oscillations of the head or trunk (axial involvement).

Cerebellar pathology

Akinesia

Inability to initiate movement, often associated with fixed postures.

BG pathology

Athetosis

Slow, involuntary, writhing, twisting movements, usually more pronounced in distal upper extremities.

BG pathology

Bradykinesia

Decreased amplitude and velocity of voluntary movement.

BG pathology

Chorea

Involuntary, rapid, irregular, jerky movements involving multiple joints, most apparent in the upper extremities.

BG pathology

Choreoathetosis

Movement disorder featuring combined characteristics of chorea and athetosis.

BG pathology

Dystonia

Sustained involuntary contractions of agonist and antagonist muscles, causing abnormal postures or twisting movements.

BG pathology

Hemiballismus

Large-amplitude, sudden, violent, flailing motions of the arm and leg on one side of the body.

BG pathology

Hyperkinesis

Abnormally increased muscle activity or movement.

BG pathology

Hypokinesis

Decreased motor response, especially to a specific stimulus; reduced movement amplitude.

BG pathology

Rigidity

Increased muscle tone causing resistance to passive movement, more pronounced in flexor muscles.

BG pathology

Leadpipe rigidity

Uniform, constant resistance felt throughout the range of passive limb movement.

BG pathology

Cogwheel rigidity

Series of brief relaxations or "catches" felt as a limb is passively moved, superimposed on rigidity.

BG pathology

Archicerebellum

• Cerebellar lesion

• Central Vestibular Symptoms: poor eye pursuit, ocular dysmetria, VOR dysfunction, poor hand eye coordination (nystagmus present)

• Gait & Trunk Ataxia: poor postural control and WBOS

• Little changes in tone or dyssynergia

Spinocerebellum

• Cerebellar lesion

• Truncal Ataxia: disequilibrium, static postural tremor (worsens with eyes closed), increase sway, WBOS

• Ataxic Gait: unsteady gait, increased falls risk, decreased step length, increase step width

  • Loss of muscle coordination

  • High guard position

Neocerebellum

• Cerebellar lesion

• Dysdiadochokinesia: impaired rapid alternating movement, especially with increased speed

• Dysmetria: hypermetria (overshoot), hypometria (undershoot) → treat with PNF with a goal of slowing down movement due to lack of speed control

• Dyssynergia: abnormal timing, coordination, sequencing

• Asynergia: loss of ability to associate muscles together for complex movements

• U/L symptoms - intension tremor