Phylogenetic term referring to the portion of the cerebellum including most of the vermis and the adjacent zones of the cerebellar hemispheres rostral to the primary fissure; p. is equated with the anterior lobe and corresponds to the zone of distribution of the spinocerebellar tracts and is sometimes called spinocerebellum; in phylogenetic age, it is thought to be intermediate between the archicerebellum [TA] and the neocerebellum [TA]. SYN: spinocerebellum [TA]. [paleo- + L. cerebellum]
* * *
pa·leo·cer·e·bel·lum -'bel-əm or Brit pal·aeo·cer·e·bel·lum .pal-ē- n, pl -bel·lums or -bel·la -'bel-ə a phylogenetically old part of the cerebellum concerned with maintenance of normal postural relationships and made up chiefly of the anterior lobe of the vermis and of the pyramid compare NEOCEREBELLUM
* * *
pa·leo·cer·e·bel·lum (pa″le-o-ser″ə-belґəm) [paleo- + cerebellum] [TA] the phylogenetically second oldest part of the cerebellum, namely the vermis of the anterior lobe and the pyramis, uvula, and paraflocculus of the posterior lobe. Because this corresponds roughly to the primary site of termination of the major spinocerebellar afferents, the term is sometimes equated with spinocerebellum. Cf. archicerebellum and neocerebellum. paleocerebellar adjMedical dictionary. 2011.