Injury to the Developing Cerebellum

Abstract

Advances in neuroimaging techniques for the in vivo study of brain development have expanded the understanding of normal and abnormal cerebellar development in the high-risk fetus and newborn. This, in turn, has provided new insights into the spectrum of structural and functional consequences of injury to the developing cerebellum. Specifically, hemorrhagic cerebellar lesions in preterm infants are associated with significant impairment of subsequent cerebellar growth as well as impaired growth of the contralateral cerebral hemisphere. Furthermore, preterm extrauterine life appears to inhibit cerebellar growth, even in the absence of obvious primary injury. Recent long-term outcome studies in preterm infants who had cerebellar injury suggest a distinct profile of pervasive neurodevelopmental deficits, with a high prevalence of cognitive-behavioral dysfunction. The structure-function relationships between early cerebellar injury and long-term outcome are a fertile area for future research.