cerebellum - tema 4

One of the most impressive parts of the human brain, named the cerebellum, has been underestimated for centuries. Located at the lower back of the brain, it is a fist-sized structure whose function is now being reappraised. Formerly this structure was thought to have only a motor function, which it performed by helping other motor regions of the brain to do their work effectively. But during the past decade a broader view of its function has emerged as a result of new research, and now the cerebellum is regarded as a structure that can help not only motor but also nonmotor regions to do their work effectively. In fact, the cerebellum has been compared to a powerful computer, capable of making contributions both to the motor dexterity and to the mental dexterity of humans, both of which are required for the emergence of fluent human language.