ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS). It begins with discussion of the onset and prevalence of CCAS, highlighting that the location and size of the lesion to the cerebellum is what determines the clinical outcome for the patient. The chapter then discusses neurophysiological and neuroscientific explanations behind CCAS, clinical symptoms and the possible effects of laterality. CCAS is a newly recognized spectrum condition arising from various forms of cerebellar injury, neurodegeneration or developmental malformation. Patients with CCAS may show bizarre and confronting cognitive and behavioural change, or more subtle executive, visuospatial, linguistic and affective deficit, depending on the type and location of the injury. The type of deficit can usually be traced back to either loss of function in connected supratentorial regions or to impairment of core cerebellar operations and dysmetria of thought. It is important that research scientists aim towards improving our understanding of the characteristics and the diagnostic crit.
