Anatomical Association Between Schizophrenia and Cerebellum

Rajashekar Reddy Yeruva; Yafei Shang; Ben Schoenbachler; Sharon Nuss; Rif S El-Mallakh

Anatomical Association Between Schizophrenia and Cerebellum

Innov Clin Neurosci. 2021 Jul-Sep;18(7-9):47-49.

Authors

Rajashekar Reddy Yeruva^{1

2}, Yafei Shang^{1

2}, Ben Schoenbachler^{1

2}, Sharon Nuss^{1

2}, Rif S El-Mallakh^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Dr. Yeruva is with Baylor Scott and White Medical Center in Round Rock, Texas.
² Drs. Shang, Schoenbachler, El-Mallakh, and Sharon Nuss are with the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky.

PMID: 34980994
PMCID: PMC8667695

Abstract

The pathogenesis of schizophrenia is rarely attributed to dysfunction of the cerebellum. However, coordination of mental processes might involve the cerebellum and a cortico-cerebellar-thalamic-cortical circuit (CCTCC) that can mediate that process has been proposed. We present the case of a 31-year-old male patient with a family history of psychosis who developed schizophrenia in association with a slow-growing glioblastoma at the left posterior cerebellar pontine angle. Of interest is that his psychosis became refractory after surgical removal of the tumor that had no motor deficit consequences, suggesting that the greater disruption of the CCTCC due to surgical excision might be related to the worsening psychosis. The case supports the hypothesis of cognitive dysmetria and psychosis.

Keywords: Schizophrenia; cerebellar lesion; mental health; neuroanatomy; pathology; psychosis.

Publication types

Case Reports