Research

The Underestimated Cerebellum Gains New Respect From Brain Scientists

The cerebellum, a brain structure humans share with fish and lizards, appears to control the quality of many functions in the brain, according to a team of researchers.
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An ancient part of the brain long ignored by the scientific world appears to play a critical role in everything from language and emotions to daily planning.

It’s the cerebellum, which is found in fish and lizards as well as people.

But in the human brain, this structure is wired to areas involved in higher-order thinking, a team led by researchers from Washington University in St. Louis reports Thursday in the journal Neuron.