Difference Between Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum

The key difference between basal ganglia and cerebellum is that basal ganglia are found deep within the cerebral hemispheres while cerebellum is found below the pones attached to the bottom of the brain.

The brain is a complex structure. It is one of the two components of the central nervous system. There are three main parts of the brain: cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellum. The cerebellum is a major feature of the hindbrain. It is extremely important for the coordination of movement and coordination. Basal ganglia are also an important group of subcortical nuclei found within the cerebral hemispheres. They are important for normal brain function and behaviour.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Basal Ganglia 
3. What is Cerebellum
4. Similarities Between Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum
5. Side by Side Comparison – Basal Ganglia vs Cerebellum in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What are Basal Ganglia?

Basal ganglia are a group of subcortical nuclei or clusters of neurons found within the central nervous system. They are located at the base of the forebrain and top of the midbrain in the vertebrate brains. So they are situated deep within the cerebral hemispheres. Basal ganglia interconnect with the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and brainstem. There are several components in basal ganglia. They are the striatum, globus pallidus, ventral pallidum, substantia nigra, and subthalamic nucleus. Basal ganglia mainly carry out a variety of cognitive, emotional, and movement-related functions. Apart from them, basal ganglia are very important for normal brain function and behaviour.

There are several diseases, especially neurological disorders, associated with the dysfunction of basal ganglia. When the basal ganglia fail to inhibit contradictory movements, one gets Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, degeneration of basal ganglia circuits causes Huntington’s disease. When considering the behaviour related neurological conditions arising due to dysfunction of basal ganglia, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and addiction are some examples.

What is Cerebellum?

Cerebellum, also known as the little brain, is a part of the brain that is identifiable. It is also a major feature of the hindbrain of vertebrates. It is situated below the pons. It appears as a separate structure attached to the bottom of the brain. Structurally, it consists of a tightly folded layer of cortex, with white matter underneath and a fluid-filled ventricle at the base. Moreover, there are three distinguishable lobes in the cerebellum: anterior lobe, posterior lobe, and flocculonodular lobe. The cerebellum is the youngest part of the brain and it changes with age.

The cerebellum plays a key role in movement and coordination. It maintains the balance of the body. It also coordinates movements. Moreover, it coordinates eye movements. It is also responsible for motor learning. Hence, cerebellum dysfunction mainly causes the loss of muscle coordination and control known as ataxia. Additionally, it causes blurry vision, tiredness, difficulty in swallowing and precise muscle control.

What are the Similarities Between Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum?

• Basal ganglia and cerebellum are sub-cortical structures.
• They receive input from wide areas of the cerebral cortex.
• They direct their output through the thalamus.
• Both basal ganglia and cerebellum play a major role in the movement.

What is the Difference Between Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum?

Basal ganglia are a group of subcortical nuclei located deep within the cerebral hemispheres. Meanwhile, cerebellum is a major feature of the hindbrain of vertebrates and is known as the little brain. So, this is the key difference between basal ganglia and cerebellum. Moreover, basal ganglia are located at the base of the forebrain and top of the midbrain while cerebellum is located below the pons attached to th,e bottom of the brain.

Functionally, basal ganglia mainly carry out a variety of cognitive, emotional, and movement-related functions. Basal ganglia are very important for normal brain function and behaviour. Meanwhile, the cerebellum maintains the balance of the body. It also coordinates muscle movements and eye movements. Besides, it is also responsible for motor learning. Therefore, this is another significant difference between basal ganglia and cerebellum.

Furthermore, another difference between basal ganglia and cerebellum is the disorders arising due to dysfunction of each structure. Basal ganglia dysfunction causes Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and addiction, while the cerebellum dysfunction causes ataxia, blurry vision, tiredness, difficulty in swallowing and precise muscle control.

Summary – Basal Ganglia vs Cerebellum

Basal ganglia and cerebellum are two structures belonging to the vertebrate brain. Basal ganglia are a group of subcortical nuclei located deep within the cerebral hemispheres. The cerebellum is one of the three components of the brain that is located below the pons attached to the bottom of the brain. It appears as a separate structure. Basal ganglia are important for a variety of functions including normal brain function and behaviour. In contrast, the cerebellum is extremely important for movement and coordination. So, this is the summary of the difference between basal ganglia and cerebellum.

Reference:

1. “Cerebellum: Anatomy, Function, and Disorders.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 31 Aug. 2018, Available here.
2. Neurosci. “Know Your Brain: Basal Ganglia.” Neuroscientifically Challenged, Neuroscientifically Challenged, 11 July 2014, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Basal Ganglia and Related Structures” By Brain_structure.gif: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.derivative work: Leevanjackson (talk) – Brain_structure.gif (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Cerebellum” By Images are generated by Life Science Databases(LSDB). – from Anatomography[1] website maintained by Life Science Databases(LSDB) (CC BY-SA 2.1 jp) via Commons Wikimedia