The role of the cerebellum in cognition: beyond coordination in the central nervous system.

Our understanding of the contribution of the cerebellum to neurocognition is still in a nascent stage, essentially because of the historical negligence of the nonmotor role of the cerebellum. But it is also because the cerebellum acts primarily as a rather subtle modulator of neurocognitive processes. If this modulating function is impaired, deficits arise that are quantitatively and qualitatively different from the deficits produced by lesions of the supratentorial structures. This article reviews in further detail the current understanding of cognitive deficits associated with cerebellar impairments and unravels its modulating role in cognitive and behavioral processes.