Phenomena resulting from interruption of afferent and efferent tracts of the cerebellum

Abstract

The research was undertaken in the hope of obtaining evidence in support of or against the view that the cerebellum exercises a direct influence on the spinal centres, as opposed to any indirect influence exerted through the agency of the cerebral cortex. The inferior peduncle of the cerebellum was accordingly divided on one side, the organ itself and its other peduncles being otherwise left intact, and the results obtained by this procedure were controlled by experiments in which the lateral tracts of the medulla oblongata were divided on one side without injury to the pyramid on the one hand or to the posterior columns and their nuclei on the other. Further control experiments consisted in dividing transversely the posterior columns and their nuclei a few millimetres above the calamus scriptorius, on one side, without including the lateral tracts of the medulla in the lesion.