Xuezhi Chen, Peijie Fu, Chuzhen Kang, Yirui Wu, Yichun Wu, Xianting Luo, Liang Chen, Hao Liu, Jianlong Ouyang, Manqing Zhang, Xiaoping Yin, Zhiying Chen
The cerebellum has traditionally been regarded as a brain region primarily involved in motor coordination and balance. However, increasing evidence suggests that the cerebellum plays a significant role in multiple higher-order cognitive functions. This review explores the mechanisms underlying cerebellar involvement in cognitive impairment, focusing on four prevalent cognitive disorders: Alzheimer's disease, vascular cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Analysis of existing neuroimaging, neuropathological, and clinical studies indicates that cerebellar structural and functional abnormalities constitute a common pathological feature of cognitive dysfunction in these conditions. Deepening our understanding of cerebellar-cerebral interactions offers new perspectives for early diagnosis, disease monitoring, and therapeutic interventions in cognitive disorders. This review also summarizes research on the cerebellum as a potential target for non-invasive brain stimulation therapy, which holds promise for opening up new avenues for intervention in cognitive disorders and ultimately leading to better treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients.