The effects of unilateral removal of the cerebellar hemispheres on motor functions and weight gain in rats.

Left or right unilateral removal of a cerebellar hemisphere resulted in a high mortality rate caused by anorexia, not previously seen in cerebellectomized animals. The reduced post-surgical gain in body weight may be explained by oropharyngeal dyspraxia or a loss in appetite. However, the growth rate of the surviving animals was similar to that of controls. After unilateral damage of the cerebellum, deficits were observed in motor coordination tasks, such as the rotorod, the hole-board, and the stationary beam, and the left hemisphere group fell from a suspended wire sooner than controls. The motor deficits were more pronounced after left as opposed to right cerebellar damage on the rotorod, implying a certain degree of functional lateralization for this test.