CEREBELLAR FUNCTION
*Dysergia: Improper co-ordinated function of a muscle group.
*Dysmetria: Inability to properly gauge the distance between two points. Tested
with finger-to-nose movements.
*Dysdiadochokinesia: Inability to do rapid alternating movements.
*Scanning Speech: Prolonged separation of syllables, often seen with cerebellar
dysfunction.
*GAIT Disturbances:
:Cerebellar Lesions: Central cerebellar lesion shows unsteady gait, but
conventional cerebellar signs may be normal.
:Posterior Columns Lesions: Loss of proprioception results in unsteady gait when eyes
are closed, but relatively normal gait when eyes are open.
:Festinating Gait: Parkinsonian gait, shuffling walk.
*Romberg’s Test: Patient can’t maintain balance with legs tight together, with eyes closed.
*Titubation: Body tremor when standing or walking, sign of cerebellar disease.
Cog-wheel rigidity is the phrase used to describe the feeling of periodic resistance to passive movement felt by the examiner in a parkinsonian limb. The phenomenon may be unilateral initially. The cog-wheeling is in fact a tremor superimposed on lead pipe rigidity – the teeth of the cog are analogous to the tensed parts of the tremor.
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