Cerebellar lesions
- Role of cerebellum is to coordinate movements and balance. Suspect cerebellar lesions when patient is ataxic
- Lesions in the vermis of the cerebellum cause
- Dysarthria
- Gait abnormalities
- Wide based gait
- Lesions within the hemispheres of the cerebellum cause
- Ipsilateral limb abnormalities
- Hypotonia
- Hyporeflexia
- Nystagmus
- Tremor
- Speech sparing
- Falls are toward the side of the lesion
- Nystagmus is worse when looking towards the same side as the lesion
- Ipsilateral limb abnormalities
- Lesions within the deep cerebellar nuclei cause
- Resting tremor
- Myoclonus
- Opsoclonus
Brainstem lesions
Associated with cranial nerve palsies
Supratentorial lesions
Unlike with cerebellar lesions, supratentorial lesions result in contralateral focal motor or sensory abnormalities