Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Child's Nervous System
Published in: Child's Nervous System 6/2011

01-06-2011 | Review Paper

Postoperative cerebellar mutism and autistic spectrum disorder

Authors: Erol Tasdemiroğlu, Miktat Kaya, Can Hakan Yıldırım, Levent Fırat

Published in: Child's Nervous System | Issue 6/2011

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

I read the article “An Inside View of Autism” written by a 44-year-old autistic woman who had a successful international career designing livestock equipment. In this article, she wrote about her life, disease, and experiences as an autistic individual. She stated that “It is interesting that my speech resembled the stressed speech in young children who have had tumors removed from the cerebellum”.

Methods

In this article, we intend to review and extensively document both postoperative cerebellar mutism and autistic spectrum disorder.

Results

We reviewed the clinical and neurological findings, etio-pathogenesis, neuroanatomy, mechanisms of development, and similarities between the etio-pathogenesis of both diseases.

Conclusions

Cerebellar lesions can produce mutism and dysarthria, symptoms sometimes seen in autistic spectrum disorder. In mammals, cerebellar lesions disturb motivated behavior and reduce social interactions, functions that are disturbed in autistic spectrum disorder and cerebellar mutism. The cerebellum and two regions within the frontal lobes are active in certain language tasks. Language is abnormal in autistic spectrum disorder and cerebellar mutism.
Literature
1.
Holmes G (1917) The symptoms of acute cerebellar injuries due to gunshot injuries. Brain 40:461–535CrossRef
2.
Holmes G (1922) The Croonian lectures on the clinical symptoms of cerebellar disease and their interpretation. Lancet 2:59–65
3.
Rekate HL, Grubb RL, Aram DM, Hahn JF, Ratcheson RA (1985) Muteness of cerebellar origin. Arch Neurol 42:697–8PubMed
4.
Ozgur BM, Berberian J, Aryan HE, Meltzer HS, Levy MC (2009) The pathophysiologic mechanism of cerebellar mutism. Surg Neurol 66:18–25CrossRef
5.
Catsman-Berrevoets CE, Van Donguen HR, Mulder PGH, y Geutze DP, Paquier PF, Lequin MH (1999) Tumour type and size are high risk factors for the syndrome of “cerebellar” mutism and subsequent dysartiria. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 67:755–757PubMedCrossRef
6.
7.
Calenberg FV, De Laar AV, Plets C, Goffin J, Casaer P (1995) Transient cerebellar mutism after posterior fossa surgery in children. Neurosurgery 37:894–898CrossRef
8.
Mewasingh LD, Kadhim H, Christophe C, Christiaens FJ, Dan B (2003) Nonsurgical cerebellar mutism (anarthria) in two children. Pediatr Neurol 28:59–63PubMedCrossRef
9.
Frassanito P, Massimi L, Caldarelli M, Di Rocco C (2009) Cerebellar mutism after spontaneous intratumoral bleeding involving the upper cerebellar vermis: a contribution to the physiopathogenic interpretation. Childs Nerv Syst 25:7–11PubMedCrossRef
10.
Ersahin Y, Mutluer S, Caglı S, Duman Y (1996) Cerebellar mutism: report of seven cases and review of the literature. Neurosurgery 38:60–66PubMedCrossRef
11.
Al-Anazi A, Hassounah M, Sheikh B, Barayan S (2001) Cerebellar mutism caused by arteriovenous malformation of the vermis. Br J Neurosurg 15:47–50PubMedCrossRef
12.
Bailleieux H, Weyns F, Paquier P, De Deyn PP, Haraoka J (2007) Posterior fossa syndrome after vermian a stroke: a new case and review of the literature. Pediatr Neurosurg 43:386–395CrossRef
13.
Ryding E, Decety J, Sjöholm H et al (1993) Motor imaginary activates the cerebellum regionally. A SPECT rCBF study with 99mTc-HMPAO. Cogn Brain Res 1:94–99CrossRef
14.
Fraioli A, Guidetti B (1975) Effects of stereotactic lesions of the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum in man. Appl Neurophysiol 38:81–90PubMed
15.
Ozimek A, Richter S, Hein-Kropp C et al (2004) Cerebellar mutism—report of four cases. J Neurol 251:963–972PubMedCrossRef
16.
Dailey AT, GM McKhann ll, Berger MS (1995) The pathophysiology of oropharyngeal motor apraxia and mutism following resection of posterior fossa tumors in children. J Neurosurg 83:467–475PubMedCrossRef
17.
Sinha AK, Rajander Y, Dinakar I (1998) Transient cerebellar mutism after evacuation of a spontaneous vermian hematoma. Childs Nerv Syst 14:460–462PubMedCrossRef
18.
Kellogg JX, Piatt JH (1997) Resection of fourth ventricle tumors without splitting the vermis: the cerebellomedullary fissure approach. Pediatr Neurosurg 27:28–33PubMedCrossRef
19.
Ersahin Y, Yararbas U, Duman Y, Mutluer S (2002) Single photon emission tomography following posterior fossa surgery in patients with and without mutism. Childs Nerv Syst 18:318–325PubMedCrossRef
20.
Ersahin Y (1998) Is splitting of the vermis responsible for cerebellar mutism? Pediatr Neurosurg 28:328PubMedCrossRef
21.
Urban PP, Marx J, Hunsche S, Gawehn J, Vucurevic G, Wicht S, Massinger C, Stoeter P, Hopf HC (2003) Cerebellar speech representation: lesion topography in dysarthria as derived from cerebellar ischemia and functional magnetic imaging. Arch Neurol 60:965–972PubMedCrossRef
22.
Van Dongen HR, Catsman-Berrevoets CE, van Mourik M (1994) The syndrome of “cerebellar” mutism and subsequent dysarthria. Neurology 44:2040–2046PubMed
23.
Gebhart AL, Petersen SE, Thach WT (2002) Role of the posterolateral cerebellum in language. Ann NY Acad Sci 978:318–333PubMedCrossRef
24.
Riva D, Giorgi C (2000) The cerebellum contributes to higher functions during development. Evidence from a series of children surgically treated for posterior fossa tumours. Brain 123:1051–1061PubMedCrossRef
25.
Van Mourik M, Catsman-Berrevoets CE, Van Dongen HR et al (1997) Complex orofacial movements and the disappearance of verebellar mutism. Report of five cases. Dev Med Child Neurol 39:686–690PubMedCrossRef
26.
Frim DM, Ogilvy CS (1995) Mutism and cerebellar dysarthria after brain stem surgery: case report. Neurosurgery 36:854–857PubMedCrossRef
27.
Germano A, Baldari S, Caruso G et al (1998) Reversible cerebral perfusion alterations in children with transient mutism after posterior fossa surgery. Childs Nerv Syst 14:112–119
28.
Sagiuchi T, Dshii K, Aoki Y et al (2001) Bilateral crossed cerebello-cerebral diaschisis and mutism after surgery for cerebellar medulloblastoma. Ann Nucl Med 15:157–160PubMedCrossRef
29.
Ildan F, Tuna M, Erman T et al (2002) The evaluation and comparison of cerebellar mutism in children and adults after posterior fossa surgery; report of two adult cases and review of literature. Acta Neurochir 144:463–473CrossRef
30.
Ackermann H, Mathiak K, Ivry RB (2004) Temporal organization of “internal speech” as a basis for cerebellar modulation of cognitive functions. Behav Cogn Neursci Rev 3:14–22CrossRef
31.
Schmahmann JD (1991) An emerging concept: the cerebellar contribution in higher function (Review). Arch Neurol 48:1178–1187PubMed
32.
Kim S, Ugurbil K, Strick P (1994) Activation of cerebellar output nucleus during cognitive processing. Science 265:949–951PubMedCrossRef
33.
Gao JH, ParsonsLM Bowe JM et al (1996) Cerebellum implicated in sensory acquisition and discrimination rather than motor control. Science 272:545–547PubMedCrossRef
34.
Courchhesne E (1991) Neuroanatomic imaging in autism. Pediatrics 87:781–790
35.
Nelson KB, Grether JK, Croen LA et al (2001) Neuropeptides and neurotrophins in neonatal blood of children with autism of mental retardation. Ann Neurol 49:597–606PubMedCrossRef
36.
Redcay E, Courchesne E (2005) When is the brain enlarged in autism? A meta-analysis of all brain size reports. Biol Psychiatry 58:1–9PubMedCrossRef
37.
Tastsanis KA, Rourke BP, Klin A et al (2003) Reduced thalamic volume in high functioning individuals with autism. Biol Psychiatry 53:121–129CrossRef
38.
Scott JA, Schumann CM, Goodlin-Jones BL, Amaral DG (2009) A comprehensive volumetric analysis of the cerebellum in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2:246–257PubMedCrossRef
39.
Carper RA, Courchesne E (2000) Inverse correlation between frontal lobe and cerebellum in children with autism. Brain 123:836–844PubMedCrossRef
40.
Quartz SR, Sejnowski TS (1997) The neural basis of cognitive development: a constructivist manifesto. Behav Brain Sci 20:537–556PubMed
41.
42.
Wills S, Cabanlit M, Bennet J, Ashwood P, Amaral DG, Van de Water J (2009) Detection of autoantibodies to neural cells of the cerebellum in the plasma of subjects with autism spectrum disorders. Brain Behav Immun 23:67–74CrossRef
43.
Rout UK, Dhossche DM (2008) A pathogenetic model of autism involving Purkinje cell loss through anti GAD antibodies. Med Hypotheses 71:218–221, 44PubMedCrossRef
44.
Yip J, Soghomonian JJ, Blatt GJ (2007) Decreased GAD67 mRNA levels in cerebellar Purkinje cells in Autism. Pathophysiological implications. Acta Neuropathol 113:559–568PubMedCrossRef
45.
Gharani N, Benayed R, Mancuso V et al (2004) Association of the homeobox transcription factor ENGRAILED 2, with autism spectrum disorder. Mol Psychiatry 9:474–484PubMedCrossRef
46.
Braunschweig D, Ashwood P, Krakowiak P, Hertz-Picciotto I, Hansen R, Croen L, Pessah IN, Van de Water J (2008) Autism; maternally derived antibodies specific for fetal brain proteins. Neurotoxicology 29:226–231PubMed
47.
48.
Saitoh O, Karns CM, Courchesne E (2001) Development of the hippocampal formation from 2 to 42 years MRI evidence of smaller area dentata in autism. Brain 124:1317–1324PubMedCrossRef
49.
Riecker A, Ackermann H, Wildgruber D, Dogil G, Grodd W (2000) Opposite hemispheric lateralization effects during speaking and singing at motor cortex, insula and cerebellum. Cogn neurosci 11:1997–2000
50.
Turkstra LS, Bayles KA (1992) Acquired mutism: physiopathology and assessment. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 73:138–144PubMed
51.
52.
Price BH, Mesulam MM (1987) Behavioral manifestations of central pontine myelinolysis. Arch Neurol 44:671–673PubMed
Metadata
Title
Postoperative cerebellar mutism and autistic spectrum disorder
Authors
Erol Tasdemiroğlu
Miktat Kaya
Can Hakan Yıldırım
Levent Fırat
Publication date
01-06-2011
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Child's Nervous System / Issue 6/2011
Print ISSN: 0256-7040
Electronic ISSN: 1433-0350
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-010-1316-6

Other articles of this Issue 6/2011

Child's Nervous System 6/2011 Go to the issue

Case Report

Acute deterioration of a Chiari I malformation: an uncommon neurosurgical emergency

Brief Communication

The histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate in combination with brain-derived neurotrophic factor reduces the viability of DAOY human medulloblastoma cells

Original Paper

Incidence of hydrocephalus and the need to ventriculoperitoneal shunting in premature infants with intraventricular hemorrhage: risk factors and outcome

Original Paper

Long-term sequelae after acquired pediatric hemorrhagic cerebellar lesions

Review Paper

Measurement of melatonin in body fluids: Standards, protocols and procedures

Case Report

Fourth ventricle hamartoma presenting with progressive myoclonus and hemifacial spasms: case report and review of literature