Cerebellar Disorders
Reading this article
Topic pages summarize public health information in plain language. They may describe common causes and treatments in general terms; your own plan of care depends on your clinician’s exam, history, and tests. Use what you read here to prepare questions—not to start, stop, or change medications or to self-diagnose.
When you play the piano or hit a tennis ball you are activating the cerebellum. The cerebellum is the area of the brain that controls coordination and balance. Problems with the cerebellum include:
- Cancer
- Genetic disorders
- Ataxias - failure of muscle control in the arms and legs that result in movement disorders
- Degeneration - disorders caused by brain cells decreasing in size or wasting away
Treatment of cerebellar disorders depends on the cause. In some cases, there is no cure but treatment may help with symptoms.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke