Lesions cause disturbances of equilibrium. Mossy fibers from the dorsal spinocerebellar tract enter the vermis via the inferior cerebellar peduncle, which then projects to the fastigial nucleus. Mossy fibers from the ventral spinocerebellar tract enter the intermediate hemisphere via the superior cerebellar peduncle, which the projects to the interposed nuclei. This region is important for coordinated limb movements. This area plays a role in the planning and initiation of movement.
Cerebellar diseases have distinct symptoms, which include hypotonia, ataxia, and action tremor.
Lesions in the cerebellum produce disorders in the limbs ipsilateral to the lesion. One of the principal differences between the connections of the cerebellum and those of the basal ganglia is that the basal ganglia have few connections to the brain stem and no connections with the spinal cord. The major afferent input to the cerebellum is A. mossy fibers that synapse on Purkinje cells. B. climbing fibers that synapse on granule cells in the glomeruli. C. parallel fibers from the inferior olive.