The cerebellum is the part of the brain mainly responsible for balance and coordination of movement. Located at the back of the brain beneath the cerebrum, it receives information from the inner ear, spinal cord, muscles, joints, and cerebral cortex.
Rather than initiating most voluntary movements, the cerebellum helps make them smooth, accurate, and properly timed. It compares intended movement with sensory feedback and adjusts muscle activity. This supports posture, walking, eye movements, speech, fine motor control, and the learning of practiced skills such as riding a bicycle or playing an instrument.
A common misconception is that the cerebellum controls balance by itself. Balance also depends on the vestibular system of the inner ear, vision, spinal pathways, and other brain regions. The cerebellum integrates these signals and fine-tunes the response. The cerebrum plans and directs many voluntary actions, while the cerebellum helps coordinate their execution.
Damage to the cerebellum can cause ataxia, an unsteady or poorly coordinated pattern of movement. It may also produce tremors during goal-directed actions, slurred speech, and difficulty judging movement distance or timing.