What happens when you lose your cerebellum?

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In 2014, a Chinese woman in her 20's sought treatment for recurring problems with balance and dizziness, reports a case study published in the journal Brain. But when doctors looked at brain imaging via a CT scan and MRI, they discovered their patient was living without her cerebellum.

This young woman falls within a small group of nine people diagnosed with cerebellar agenesis, the study reports. Despite being born without this essential part, the woman learned to walk and talk, although her mother reported she learned these actions around age 6 and 7.

However, the young woman had always struggled with walking steadily and had some trouble pronouncing words, according to the study.

Scientists have long known about the cerebellum’s function in finetuning motor skills and balance. However, scientists have a new insight into the cerebellum engaging in language and other similar functions.

Dr. James Knierim from Johns Hopkins University talks more about the cerebellum and its function in an online textbook called Neuroscience. The textbook is a public resource provided by McGovern Medical School from the University of Texas Health.

The young Chinese woman had a relatively normal childhood development and only mild motor disabilities, the study says, a fact that points to the brain’s adaptability.

In fact, Jonathan Keleher is another cerebellar agenesis case with a happy ending. Keleher has minor deficiencies with walking, talking and balancing, reports a story in NPR. But the young man has lived a fairly normal and productive life otherwise.

Keleher is described as a people person who loves to listen to conversation, according to NPR. However, Keleher does have trouble understanding emotions and deep thinking the same way that people with their cerebellums can.

Source: Woman seeking treatment for dizziness finds out she's missing her cerebellum

Yeah. Someone posted about that when it first hit the news in 2014. I knew it sounded familiar. Its right there in the list of "similar topics" at the bottom of the page.

Yeah. You would think it would impair you a lot more than that since its a major part of your brain. But I guess some folks can make do without a cerebellum, and make do without even knowing that they are missing it.

The cerebellum role is coordinating fine-tuned muscle movements, balance, and proprioception. The cerebellum is always on guard to protect your body from danger and prepare you for 'fight-or-flight' by keeping track of everything going on in your environment. Among many other jobs, the cerebellum has a huge responsibility to maintain your safety and physical well-being. This takes a lot of brainpower and energy. Although the cerebellum is only 10% of brain volume it holds over 50% of your brain's neurons.

I think what I found interesting in this article is the brain’s adaptability. Even without a cerebellum, the brain is able to reconfigure itself in order to simulate the roles that the missing cerebellum normally performs.