This excellent review gives the reader a clear up to date summary of the current understanding of the important relationship in movement control between these two groups of subcortical nuclei and their interactions with the cerebral cortex. The paper is organized into easy to follow subsections with supporting diagrams which are not too complex and potentially very useful for teaching purposes and in-service training study groups.
What the authors propose challenges previous assumptions that connections between the basal ganglia and the cerebellum occur mainly at a cortical level. As a result of more recent anatomical studies, in nonhuman primates, it is suggested that interactions occur more directly and may provide a useful framework for understanding cerebellar contributions to the clinical signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and dystonia. This updated view is based upon the work of researchers using viral tracing which is ideally suited to unraveling multi-synaptic circuits (loops) like those that link the cerebellum and the basal ganglia with the cerebral cortex. As a consequence of these experiments the authors suggest that
• Pathways linking the cerebellum with the basal ganglia are topographically organized and that they may be involved in integrating cerebellar and basal ganglia functions in both the motor and non-motor domains
• That substantial communication between the cerebellum and the basal ganglia is independent of the cerebral cortex
• Communication between these major subcortical nuclei is likely to have important clinical implications
The paper discusses:
• Principles involved in the use of virus tracing
• The disynaptic projection from the cerebellum to the basal ganglia
• The disynaptic projection from the basal ganglia to the cerebellum
• Implications for disorders of motor control such as Parkinson’s disease and Dystonia
The paper raises several interesting and important questions about implications of the interconnections between the cerebellum and basal ganglia.
Bobath Concept: Theory and Clinical Practice in Neurological Rehabilitation
Authored by members of the British Bobath Tutors Association, Bobath Concept: Theory and Clinical Practice in Neurological Rehabilitation is a practical illustrated guide that offers a detailed exploration of the theoretical underpinning and clinical interventions of the Bobath Concept.
This book guides the reader through general principles to more specific application of neurophysiological principles and movement re-education in the recovery of important areas, including moving between sitting and standing, locomotion and recovery of upper limb function.