Saturday, January 7, 2017

A new case of complete primary cerebellar agenesis: clinical and imaging findings in a living patient

Feng Yu, Qing-jun Jiang, Xi-yan Sun, Rong-wei Zhang; Brain, Volume 138, Issue 6, 1 June 2015 DOI:10.1093/brain/awu239

DON’T mind the gap. A woman has reached the age of 24 without anyone realising she was missing a large part of her brain. The case highlights just how adaptable the organ is. Woman of 24 found to have no cerebellum in her brain, however, in this woman, the missing cerebellum resulted in only mild to moderate motor deficiency, and mild speech problems such as slightly slurred pronunciation. Her doctors describe these effects as “less than would be expected”, and say her case highlights the remarkable plasticity of the brain.


Cerebellar agenesis is an extremely rare condition implying complete absence of the cerebellum.