Clinical and psychological features of children with agenesis of the vermis cerebelli

The article considers behavioral disturbances in children with anomalies of the cerebellum found by MRI studies. Presented are literature data on the relations between pathology of the cerebellum and early autism in children. The cerebellum is involved not only in movement coordination but also in social adaptation and speech communication. Cerebellum-specific genes expressed in early age are similar to those of hippocampus. Our own study of children with agenesis of the vermis cerebelli detected by MRI and behavioral disturbances included 20 children aged 3-15 years (mean age 7,05 years, 12 male, 8 female). Some autistic features have been found.