The Rôle of the Cerebellum in the Co-ordination of Animal Movement

Abstract

THE intracerebellar nuclei, forming, as they do, important stations on the course of the cerebellar reflex arcs, naturally invite inquiry as to the kind of influence they exert on the muscles. Our observations have been made on the cat, decerebrated in deep anæsthesia according to Sherrington's original technique, the plane of transection of the neuraxis passing just in front of the superior colliculus and in front of the infundibulum, thus leaving intact the nucleus ruber. Horizontal slices were then removed from the cerebellum on one or both sides, so as to expose for stimulation the dorsal surfaces of the nuclei. Measures were taken to arrest the bleeding and to maintain the proper temperature. The approximate position of the nucleus in question having been determined by measurements, the section of cerebellum in this neighbourhood was then carefully explored with minimal currents applied by a unipolar electrode. The following is a brief résumé of our results obtained by stimulation of the several nuclei.