Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2025; 83(12): s00451814379
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1814379
Review Article

A journey through the anatomy of the cerebellum

Authors

  • João Vitor Gerdulli Tamanini

    1   Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
    2   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Departamento de Radiologia e Oncologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
  • Raphael Pinheiro Camurugy da Hora

    1   Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
  • Luís Gustavo Biondi Soares

    3   Santa Casa de Montes Claros, Departamento de Neurocirurgia, Montes Claros MG, Brazil.
  • Luiz Fernando Monte Borella

    2   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Departamento de Radiologia e Oncologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
  • Fabiano Reis

    2   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Departamento de Radiologia e Oncologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
  • Luis Ángel Canache

    3   Santa Casa de Montes Claros, Departamento de Neurocirurgia, Montes Claros MG, Brazil.
  • Victor Rebelo Procaci

    1   Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
  • Feres Chaddad-Neto

    1   Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
    4   Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo, Departamento de Neurocirurgia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
  • Flávio Moura de Rezende Filho

    1   Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
  • Orlando Graziani Povoas Barsottini

    1   Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
  • José Luiz Pedroso

    1   Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.

Abstract

The present narrative review delves into the multifaceted roles of the cerebellum, highlighting its significance beyond traditional motor functions to encompass cognitive and behavior-related processes, as evidenced by advancements in functional neuroimaging. We provide a comprehensive summary of the cerebellum's embryological development, intricate microanatomy, macroanatomy, and vascular anatomy of the cerebellum, revealing how these aspects contribute to its unique circuitry and operational capabilities. A non-systematic literature search was conducted using the PubMed database, focusing on landmark and recent studies addressing the embryology, anatomy, clinical correlations and radiological aspects of the cerebellum. Ultimately, this review underscores the cerebellum's complex structure and diverse function, advocating for a deeper understanding to improve diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cerebellar disorders.

Authors' Contributions

Conceptualization: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Data curation: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Formal analysis: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Funding acquisition: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Investigation: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Methodology: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Project administration: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Resources: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Software: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Supervision: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Validation: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP; Visualization: JVGT, RPCH, FMRF, OGPB, JLP;Writing – original draft: JVGT, RPCH, LGBS, LFMB, FR, LAC, VRP, FCN, FMRF, OGPB, JLP;Writing – review & editing: JVGT, RPCH, LGBS, VRP, FCN, FMRF, OGPB, JLP. These authors contributed equally to this article: JVG, RPCH.


Data Availability Statement

Data will be available upon request to the corresponding author.


Editor-in-Chief: Hélio A. G. Teive. (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2305-1073).


Associate Editor: Mariana Spitz. (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7548-2313).




Publication History

Received: 15 May 2025

Accepted: 03 October 2025

Article published online:
22 December 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
João Vitor Gerdulli Tamanini, Raphael Pinheiro Camurugy da Hora, Luís Gustavo Biondi Soares, Luiz Fernando Monte Borella, Fabiano Reis, Luis Ángel Canache, Victor Rebelo Procaci, Feres Chaddad-Neto, Flávio Moura de Rezende Filho, Orlando Graziani Povoas Barsottini, José Luiz Pedroso. A journey through the anatomy of the cerebellum. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2025; 83: s00451814379.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1814379