The Lateralized Linguistic Cerebellum: Fact or Fallacy?

Samenvatting

During the past two decades the collaboration across disciplines and the methodologic and conceptual advances of contemporary neuroscience have brought about a substantial modification of the traditional view of the cerebellum as a mere coordinator of autonomic and somatic motor functions. In this contribution the recently acknowledged role of the cerebellum in cognition is reviewed and experimental and clinical data disclosing the modulatory role of the cerebellum in various non-motor language processes such as lexical retrieval, syntax and language dynamics are addressed. In agreement with the findings of studies indicating a topographical organization of the cerebellar structures involved in language pathology we advance the concept of a ‘lateralized linguistic cerebellum’. In our view crossed cerebral diaschisis' processes, reflecting a functional depression of supratentorial language areas due to reduced input via cerebello-cortical pathways might represent the relevant pathomechanism for linguistic deficits associated with cerebellar pathology.