cerebellar signs

Last reviewed 10/2023

These are signs which occur with cerebellar disease:

  • intention tremor
  • past-pointing - pointing beyond the finger in the finger-nose test
  • dysdiadochokinesis - this feature is shown when the patient is slow and uneven in attempting fast hand movements, e.g. tapping the right hand fast on the back of the left hand
  • nystagmus - coarse and slow; worst on looking to the side of the lesion
  • truncal ataxia - tends to fall on the same side
  • rhombergism
  • hypotonia and pendular reflexes

A fuller description of these features and their cause is given in the 'clinical features of cerebellar disease' section.