Nuclei located within the white matter of the cerebellum
Deep cerebellar nuclei
Sagittal section through right cerebellar hemisphere. The right olive has also been cut sagittally. (Dentate nucleus labelled at top as nucleus dentatus)
In lower mammals the emboliform nucleus appears to be continuous with the globose nucleus, and these are known together as the interposed nucleus.[1]
Inputs
These nuclei receive inhibitory (GABAergic) inputs from Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex and excitatory (glutamatergic) inputs from mossy fiber and climbing fiber pathways. Most output fibers of the cerebellum originate from these nuclei. One exception is that fibers from the flocculonodular lobe synapse directly on vestibular nuclei without first passing through the deep cerebellar nuclei. The vestibular nuclei in the brainstem are analogous structures to the deep nuclei, since they receive both mossy fiber and Purkinje cell inputs.
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Specific nuclei
From lateral to medial, the four deep cerebellar nuclei are the dentate, emboliform, globose, and fastigial. Some animals, including humans, do not have distinct emboliform and globose nuclei, instead having a single, fused interposed nucleus.[citation needed] In animals with distinct emboliform and globose nuclei, the term interposed nucleus is often used to refer collectively to these two nuclei.
Topography
In general, each pair of deep nuclei is associated with a corresponding region of cerebellar surface anatomy.
Cross-section of human cerebellum, showing the dentate nucleus, as well as fourth ventricle
Cross-section of human cerebellum, showing the dentate nucleus and cross-section of vermis
The dentate nuclei are deep within the lateral hemispheres,
the interposed nuclei are located in the paravermal (intermediate) zone,
