The mechanisms of recovery from cerebellar infarction: an fMRI study

Patients with cerebellar infarction frequently make an excellent functional recovery. However, the mechanisms of functional recovery from cerebellar infarction remain unclear. Thus, functional MRI was used to investigate these mechanisms in six right-handed patients with complete recovery after cerebellar infarction, and nine right-handed normal subjects. The non-infarcted side of the cerebellum and the sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the non-infarcted side of the cerebellum were significantly activated during the infarcted-side hand movement. In the infarcted side of the cerebellum, intact regions were activated. Our results indicate that recovery from cerebellar infarction depends on reorganization in the infarcted side of the cerebellum, and recruitment of the cerebellocortical loop involving the cerebrum ipsilateral to the movement and the cerebellum contralateral to the movement.