110. The Cerebellum’s Surprising Role in Mental Health

What this episode covers

Is it possible that the cerebellum plays a much larger role in our mental health than was previously known? This fist-sized portion of the human brain has never received as much attention as the flashier, “thinky-thinky” parts of the brain, but according to recent breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience (and how those breakthroughs have been interpreted by Marcus and Esme) the answer is a resounding . . . maybe? The truth of the matter is that recent studies have provided ample evidence that the cerebellum plays a much more important role in almost every brain function than previously suspected. This includes things like executive function and emotional regulation – two mental capabilities that neurodivergent people tend to struggle with. There’s also a fair amount of research linking structural and functional abnormalities of the cerebellum with a variety of psychiatric conditions. Is it possible that the cerebellum plays a much larger role in our mental health than was previously known? And if so, what are the implications for the future of how mental health and neurodivergent conditions are diagnosed and treated going forward? Well, after an exhaustive review of recent breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience, Marcus and Esme are prepared to say, “Wow, those are some tough questions.” The truth of the matter is that the cerebellum has been the subject of a lot of fascinating research and discoveries in the past few years (it has long been dismissed as less important than the flashier, “thinky-thinky” parts of the brain). Scientists are only now beginning to grasp how intertwined this fist-sized portion of the human brain is with practically every aspect of neurological functioning and mental health.  What does it all mean? Well, that’s what Esme and Marcus attempt to figure out in this episode. While they acknowledge there are no definitive answers to these questions yet, they also think it’s a fascinating topic with a lot of potential implications for how mental health and neurodivergent conditions are diagnosed and treated going forward.

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