Structure and functions of cerebellum MCQs With Answer

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Structure and functions of cerebellum MCQs With Answer provides B.Pharm students a focused review of cerebellar anatomy, microcircuitry, and physiology. This introduction covers cerebellar lobes, cortex layers, key cell types like Purkinje and granule cells, afferent fibers (mossy and climbing), deep cerebellar nuclei, peduncles, blood supply and clinical signs such as ataxia and dysdiadochokinesia. Emphasis on motor coordination, motor learning, timing, and cognitive roles makes these MCQs ideal for exam preparation and pharmacology correlations. Keyword-rich content boosts learning of cerebellar anatomy, neurotransmitters, synaptic plasticity and clinical correlations relevant to B.Pharm curricula. Now let’s test your knowledge with 50 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. Which are the three major lobes of the cerebellum?

  • Frontal, parietal, occipital
  • Anterior, posterior, flocculonodular
  • Superior, inferior, medial
  • Lateral, medial, central

Correct Answer: Anterior, posterior, flocculonodular

Q2. Which are the three histological layers of the cerebellar cortex?

  • Molecular, Purkinje, granular
  • Pyramidal, molecular, ganglionic
  • Granular, pyramidal, Purkinje
  • Molecular, pyramidal, granular

Correct Answer: Molecular, Purkinje, granular

Q3. What is the primary neurotransmitter released by Purkinje cells?

  • Glutamate
  • GABA
  • Acetylcholine
  • Dopamine

Correct Answer: GABA

Q4. Which fibers provide the two major excitatory inputs to the cerebellar cortex?

  • Spinothalamic and corticospinal fibers
  • Mossy fibers and climbing fibers
  • Rubrospinal and vestibulospinal fibers
  • Corticocortical and thalamocortical fibers

Correct Answer: Mossy fibers and climbing fibers

Q5. Which are the deep cerebellar nuclei?

  • Caudate, putamen, globus pallidus
  • Substantia nigra, red nucleus, thalamus
  • Dentate, emboliform, globose, fastigial
  • Hippocampus, amygdala, dentate gyrus

Correct Answer: Dentate, emboliform, globose, fastigial

Q6. Which cerebellar peduncle primarily contains the major efferent (output) pathways?

  • Middle cerebellar peduncle
  • Inferior cerebellar peduncle
  • Superior cerebellar peduncle
  • Central cerebellar peduncle

Correct Answer: Superior cerebellar peduncle

Q7. Which peduncle carries massive pontocerebellar afferents (from contralateral pontine nuclei)?

  • Superior cerebellar peduncle
  • Middle cerebellar peduncle
  • Inferior cerebellar peduncle
  • Vestibulocerebellar peduncle

Correct Answer: Middle cerebellar peduncle

Q8. Climbing fibers that produce powerful excitation of Purkinje cells originate from which nucleus?

  • Red nucleus
  • Inferior olivary nucleus
  • Vestibular nucleus
  • Pontine nucleus

Correct Answer: Inferior olivary nucleus

Q9. Mossy fibers primarily synapse onto which cerebellar cell type?

  • Purkinje cells directly
  • Granule cells
  • Basket cells
  • Golgi cells only

Correct Answer: Granule cells

Q10. Parallel fibers in the cerebellum are the axons of which cells?

  • Basket cells
  • Purkinje cells
  • Granule cells
  • Golgi cells

Correct Answer: Granule cells

Q11. What is the main projection target of Purkinje cells and what is its effect?

  • Project to thalamus and are excitatory
  • Project to deep cerebellar nuclei and are inhibitory
  • Project to spinal cord and are excitatory
  • Project to cortex and are inhibitory

Correct Answer: Project to deep cerebellar nuclei and are inhibitory

Q12. The flocculonodular lobe is mainly associated with which functional division?

  • Spinocerebellum
  • Cerebrocerebellum
  • Vestibulocerebellum
  • Extrapyramidal cerebellum

Correct Answer: Vestibulocerebellum

Q13. Which cerebellar region primarily receives spinal proprioceptive inputs and regulates axial and proximal limb movements?

  • Cerebrocerebellum (lateral hemisphere)
  • Spinocerebellum (vermis and intermediate zones)
  • Vestibulocerebellum (flocculonodular)
  • Superior cerebellar cortex

Correct Answer: Spinocerebellum (vermis and intermediate zones)

Q14. Which cerebellar region is most involved in planning, timing and coordination of skilled, distal voluntary movements?

  • Vermis
  • Lateral hemisphere (cerebrocerebellum)
  • Flocculonodular lobe
  • Fastigial nucleus only

Correct Answer: Lateral hemisphere (cerebrocerebellum)

Q15. One major functional role of the cerebellum is:

  • Initiation of voluntary movement
  • Generation of sensory perception
  • Motor coordination, error correction and motor learning
  • Primary control of autonomic functions

Correct Answer: Motor coordination, error correction and motor learning

Q16. Which clinical sign is characteristically associated with cerebellar lesions?

  • Resting tremor
  • Intention (action) tremor
  • Hyperreflexia only
  • Spastic hemiparesis

Correct Answer: Intention (action) tremor

Q17. Dysdiadochokinesia refers to:

  • Inability to maintain posture
  • Inability to perform rapid alternating movements
  • Loss of pain sensation
  • Exaggerated startle response

Correct Answer: Inability to perform rapid alternating movements

Q18. Cerebellar ataxia is best described as:

  • Loss of muscle strength
  • Incoordination of voluntary movements without weakness
  • Sensory loss of vibration and proprioception only
  • Complete paralysis of limbs

Correct Answer: Incoordination of voluntary movements without weakness

Q19. A common motor tone abnormality seen with cerebellar lesions is:

  • Spasticity
  • Rigidity
  • Hypotonia
  • Hypertonia with clonus

Correct Answer: Hypotonia

Q20. Which ocular sign is frequently seen with cerebellar dysfunction, especially flocculonodular involvement?

  • Ptosis
  • Nystagmus
  • Convergence insufficiency only
  • Complete blindness

Correct Answer: Nystagmus

Q21. Which artery primarily supplies the superior surface and deep structures of the cerebellum?

  • Posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)
  • Anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA)
  • Superior cerebellar artery (SCA)
  • Basilar perforators only

Correct Answer: Superior cerebellar artery (SCA)

Q22. PICA infarcts typically affect which part of the cerebellum?

  • Superior vermis
  • Inferior cerebellum and tonsil
  • Lateral hemisphere exclusively
  • Midline tectum

Correct Answer: Inferior cerebellum and tonsil

Q23. AICA supplies which cerebellar structures?

  • Medial cerebellum only
  • Flocculus and middle/inferior lateral cerebellum and middle cerebellar peduncle
  • Superior vermis exclusively
  • Thalamic nuclei

Correct Answer: Flocculus and middle/inferior lateral cerebellum and middle cerebellar peduncle

Q24. Purkinje cells from the lateral hemisphere mainly project to which deep nucleus?

  • Fastigial nucleus
  • Interposed nucleus
  • Dentate nucleus
  • Subthalamic nucleus

Correct Answer: Dentate nucleus

Q25. The vermis predominantly projects to which deep cerebellar nucleus?

  • Dentate
  • Interposed
  • Fastigial
  • Caudate

Correct Answer: Fastigial

Q26. The interposed nuclei (emboliform and globose) are mainly involved in control of:

  • Limb movements and coordination

Correct Answer: Limb movements and coordination

Q27. True or False: The cerebellum contributes to cognitive functions such as attention and language.

  • True
  • False
  • Only in children
  • Only after injury

Correct Answer: True

Q28. Activation of climbing fibers produces which characteristic Purkinje cell response?

  • Simple spike only
  • Complex spike with prolonged depolarization
  • Hyperpolarization and silence
  • Only tonic firing increase

Correct Answer: Complex spike with prolonged depolarization

Q29. Long-term depression (LTD) at the parallel fiber–Purkinje cell synapse is important for:

  • Initiation of voluntary movement
  • Motor learning and adaptive timing

Correct Answer: Motor learning and adaptive timing

Q30. Where do the cerebellar efferents in the superior cerebellar peduncle decussate?

  • Medulla oblongata
  • Pons
  • Decussation in midbrain (below red nucleus)
  • Cerebral cortex

Correct Answer: Decussation in midbrain (below red nucleus)

Q31. Which clinical test is most specific for assessing upper limb cerebellar coordination?

  • Romberg test
  • Finger-nose test
  • Babinski sign

Correct Answer: Finger-nose test

Q32. Romberg sign is primarily used to detect dysfunction of:

  • Cerebellum only

Correct Answer: Dorsal columns (proprioception) rather than cerebellum

Q33. Which statement about the cerebellar microcircuit is correct?

  • Purkinje cells excite deep cerebellar nuclei via glutamate
  • Purkinje cells inhibit deep cerebellar nuclei via GABA
  • Granule cells inhibit Purkinje cells directly
  • Climbing fibers inhibit granule cells

Correct Answer: Purkinje cells inhibit deep cerebellar nuclei via GABA

Q34. Which neuron type is the most numerous in the human brain and extremely abundant in the cerebellum?

  • Purkinje cells
  • Granule cells
  • Pyramidal cells

Correct Answer: Granule cells

Q35. Basket and stellate cells located in the molecular layer are primarily:

  • Excitatory interneurons using glutamate
  • Inhibitory interneurons using GABA

Correct Answer: Inhibitory interneurons using GABA

Q36. Golgi cells modulate cerebellar input by:

  • Exciting Purkinje cells directly
  • Inhibiting granule cells via feedback

Correct Answer: Inhibiting granule cells via feedback

Q37. Simple spikes in Purkinje cells are primarily modulated by:

  • Climbing fibers only
  • Parallel fibers (from granule cells)

Correct Answer: Parallel fibers (from granule cells)

Q38. During embryological development, the cerebellum arises from which brain region?

  • Telencephalon
  • Mesencephalon
  • Metencephalon (part of rhombencephalon)
  • Diencephalon

Correct Answer: Metencephalon (part of rhombencephalon)

Q39. Herniation of cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum is characteristic of which condition?

  • Chiari malformation

Correct Answer: Chiari malformation

Q40. A midline vermis lesion typically produces which clinical feature?

  • Limb ataxia without truncal involvement

Correct Answer: Truncal ataxia and wide-based gait

Q41. A lesion confined to the lateral cerebellar hemisphere most commonly causes:

Correct Answer: Limb ataxia, dysmetria and dysdiadochokinesia of ipsilateral limbs

Q42. True or False: The cerebellum initiates voluntary movement.

  • True
  • False
  • Only for ocular movements
  • Only in newborns

Correct Answer: False

Q43. Outputs from deep cerebellar nuclei to thalamus and brainstem are primarily which type of neurotransmission?

  • GABAergic inhibitory
  • Glycinergic
  • Glutamatergic excitatory
  • Cholinergic

Correct Answer: Glutamatergic excitatory

Q44. Each Purkinje cell typically receives climbing fiber input in what ratio from inferior olive?

  • Many climbing fibers to one Purkinje cell
  • One climbing fiber to one Purkinje cell (one-to-one strong connection)
  • No climbing fiber input
  • Climbing fibers only to granule cells

Correct Answer: One climbing fiber to one Purkinje cell (one-to-one strong connection)

Q45. The mossy fiber → granule cell → parallel fiber pathway is characterized by:

Correct Answer: Massive divergence allowing one mossy fiber to influence many Purkinje cells

Q46. The cerebellum contributes to the timing and rhythm of movements; disruption leads to:

Correct Answer: Impaired timing, dysrhythmia and decomposition of movement

Q47. The rebound phenomenon (difficulty checking a movement when resistance is removed) indicates dysfunction of:

Correct Answer: Cerebellum (loss of check reflex)

Q48. The cerebellum plays a key role in adaptation of which reflex related to eye movements?

  • Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)

Correct Answer: Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)

Q49. Which neurotransmitter is primarily released at the mossy fiber–granule cell synapse?

  • GABA
  • Glycine
  • Glutamate
  • Dopamine

Correct Answer: Glutamate

Q50. Which cell type forms the single-cell Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellar cortex?

  • Granule cells
  • Bipolar cells
  • Purkinje cells

Correct Answer: Purkinje cells

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