Frontiers in Public Health (May 2015)

The cerebellum and psychiatric disorders

  • Joseph ePhillips,
  • Doaa Hamed Hewedi,
  • Abeer eEissa,
  • Ahmed A. Moustafa

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00066
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3

Abstract

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The cerebellum has been considered for a long time to play a role solely in motor coordination. However, studies over the past two decades have shown that the cerebellum also plays a key role in many motor, cognitive, and emotional processes. In addition, studies have also shown that the cerebellum is implicated in many psychiatric disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. In this review, we discuss existing studies reporting cerebellar dysfunction in various psychiatric disorders. We will also discuss future directions for studies linking the cerebellum to psychiatric disorders.

Keywords