Amore Greta, Spoto Giulia, Ieni Antonio, Vetri Luigi, Quatrosi Giuseppe, Di Rosa Gabriella, Nicotera Antonio Gennaro
Unit of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Human Pathology of the Adult and Developmental Age "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Unit of Pathology, Department of Human Pathology of the Adult and Developmental Age "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Front Syst Neurosci. 2021 Apr 9;15:646052. doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.646052. eCollection 2021.
The cerebellum and its functional multiplicity and heterogeneity have been objects of curiosity and interest since ancient times, giving rise to the urge to reveal its complexity. Since the first hypothesis of cerebellar mere role in motor tuning and coordination, much more has been continuously discovered about the cerebellum's circuitry and functioning throughout centuries, leading to the currently accepted knowledge of its prominent involvement in cognitive, social, and behavioral areas. Particularly in childhood, the cerebellum may subserve several age-dependent functions, which might be compromised in several Central Nervous System pathologies. Overall, cerebellar damage may produce numerous signs and symptoms and determine a wide variety of neuropsychiatric impairments already during the evolutive age. Therefore, an early assessment in children would be desirable to address a prompt diagnosis and a proper intervention since the first months of life. Here we provide an overview of the cerebellum, retracing its morphology, histogenesis, and physiological functions, and finally outlining its involvement in typical and atypical development and the age-dependent patterns of cerebellar dysfunctions.
自古以来，小脑及其功能的多样性和异质性就一直是人们好奇和感兴趣的对象，这激发了人们揭示其复杂性的冲动。自从关于小脑仅在运动调节和协调中起作用的第一个假说起，几个世纪以来，人们不断发现更多关于小脑回路和功能的知识，从而形成了目前公认的小脑在认知、社交和行为领域中显著作用的认识。特别是在儿童时期，小脑可能发挥多种与年龄相关的功能，而这些功能在几种中枢神经系统疾病中可能会受到损害。总体而言，小脑损伤可能会产生许多体征和症状，并在发育阶段就导致各种各样的神经精神障碍。因此，对儿童进行早期评估，以便从生命的最初几个月起就进行及时诊断和适当干预是很有必要的。在这里，我们对小脑进行概述，追溯其形态、组织发生和生理功能，最后概述其在典型和非典型发育中的作用以及小脑功能障碍的年龄相关模式。
