Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 24, 2026

MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Patients with Medically-refractory Essential Tremor
Published on: December 13, 2017
The cerebellothalamocortical pathway in essential tremor
Andrew D Pinto1, Anthony E Lang, Robert Chen
1Division of Neurology and Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
The cerebellum is implicated in the pathogenesis of essential tremor (ET). The authors examined the excitability of the cerebellothalamocortical pathway in ET and found it to be normal. Tremor reset occurred with motor cortex stimulation but not with cerebellar stimulation. These findings suggest that the abnormal oscillatory activity in ET does not originate in the cerebellar cortex but are consistent with the abnormal activity being transmitted through the cerebellothalamocortical pathway being driven by abnormal cerebellar afferent input from areas such as the inferior olive.
Related Concept Videos
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Indirect Motor Pathways
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
Direct Motor Pathways
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and the...
Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay
Cerebellum: Anatomical Regions
Cerebellar Structure
Externally, the cerebellum features a highly convoluted surface with numerous folia (narrow ridges) separated by shallow sulci (grooves). The cerebellum is divided into two hemispheres by a thin median structure known as the vermis. The...
