Surgery of tumors of the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex, and sensory memory and motor planning disturbances in children.
OBJECTIVE
This study addressed the integration of sensory short-term memory (SSTM) and motor planning (MP) in the lateral cerebellar region, where the dentate nucleus is localized, and in the prefrontal cortex (PF).


METHODS
Boucher and Lewis's test of SSTM and MP was administered pre- and postsurgically to 8 patients of either sex, between 5 and 19 years of age, with tumors of the cerebellum, PF (area 9 medial) or the parieto-occipital region, and on one occasion to 8 corresponding controls.


RESULTS
Whereas lesions of the midline portions of the cerebellum and of the parietal-occipital region did not appear to cause any cognitive defects, patients with lesions affecting either the lateral cerebellar region or PF exhibited statistically significant deficits of SSTM and MP.


CONCLUSIONS
The lateral cerebellum seems to act in concert with PF to integrate different cognitive activities related to holding objects in SSTM and planning motor strategies in reference to them.
Castro-Sierra
Eduardo
E
Laboratory of Psychoacoustics and Auditory Physiology, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Dr. Márquez No. 162, 06720 México D.F., Mexico. eduardcs@yahoo.com.mx
Chico-Ponce De León
Fernando
F
Gordillo-Domínguez
Luis F
LF
Raya-Gutiérrez
Rocío
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014796:Visual Perception