Deficits of visual search and spatial working memory after cerebellar infarction

In recent studies the cerebellum has been discussed to be involved not only in motor but also in cognitive functions. Particularly in fronto-executive functions patients with cerebellar lesions showed deficits. Similar to a previous study on hemi-neglect patients, 3 visual search tasks (implying feature and conjunction search for colour and shape) was applied to investigate 8 patients with isolated infarction of the cerebellum compared to a group of 10 age-matched controls. The cerebellar patients showed longer search durations, associated with a higher number of repeated saccades towards the same items. Systematic geometric search strategies were similar in both groups. Concluding, basic mechanisms of visual search are not affected by cerebellar lesions while patients' search behaviour is generally less efficient, due to redundant saccades, indicating a mild deficit of spatial working memory.