Neurology: The underestimated cerebellum

The cerebellum is often left out when we talk about "the brain" - probably because it is visually different from the cerebrum.

It is significantly involved in the processing of movement sequences and balance regulation - and apparently also in emotional memory processes, as neuroscientists from the University of Basel report in a scientific publication in the journal

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They showed the 1,418 study participants both emotional images – with positive or negative connotations – and neutral images.

In a later memory test, the participants primarily remembered the emotional images, while their brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

It was found that certain areas of the cerebellum were particularly active and interacted more intensively with various areas of the cerebrum such as the amygdala or the hippocampus, which are involved in processing emotional memory content.

Previous studies in rats and cats had found that electrical stimulation of the so-called vermis, a part of the cerebellum, is linked to the limbic system - which includes the hippocampus and amygdala.

Among other things, the latter plays an important role in the conditioning of fear reactions.

The results of the study now suggest that the vermis is also involved in transferring emotional (visual) content into our episodic memory.

To put it simply, episodic memory is responsible for the fact that we consciously remember "biographical" events, i.e. we can classify them in time.

According to the scientists, the findings could contribute to a better understanding of mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and autism spectrum disorders.