The cerebral and cerebellum

[HydrogenBond]

The cerebral part of the brain is very familiar to everyone. This is also another cerebral look-alike at the lower back of the head called the cerebellum. It is very similar to the cerebral matter, about half the size and is also rich in neurons. These neurons differ in that they are a little smaller than those the cerebral but can also branch extensively. This part of the brain is responsible for the smoothing movement of our muscles. If we didn't have the cerebellum, we would move like robots. The cerebellum processes this cerebral robot action, further, for smooth motions.

 

The reason I bring this up is to present an observation. If you look at song, dance and even sports, there needs to be a high cerebellum contribution to create such smooth control of the various needed muscles. Activities like thinking or even reading don't require nearly as much cerebellum activity since very little smoothing of motion is needed beyond the eyes.

 

Compare the nerd and jock. The nerd may not be very coordinated implying less cerebellum development. His mind is more focused in the cerebral. The jock may not do well at book smarts, but he may be a star on the sports field due to more cerebellum development. There almost appears to be a correlation between intellect and entertainment and the relative contributions of the cerebral and cerebellum. It is not a perfect correlation. Those more physically gifted seem to be naturally wired to maximize the cerebellum. The intellectually gifted are often just the opposite.

[freeztar]

According to the wiki on cerebellum:

 

These observations and studies led to the conclusion that the cerebellum was a motor control structure.[1] However, modern research shows that the cerebellum has a broader role in a number of key cognitive functions, including attention and the processing of language, music, and other sensory temporal stimuli.[2]

 

So it seems it's not so cut and dry.

In fairness, I found some other supporting links.

 

The Cerebellum: The Treasure at the Bottom of the Brain, by Henrietta Leiner and Alan Leiner

Society for Neuroscience | What Is The Cerebellum?

 

I also found these university links that make no mention of cognitive function in the cerebellum:

 

The Cerebellum - Contents

Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum