Preserved cerebellar functions despite structural degeneration in older adults.

Abstract

Aging is frequently perceived negatively due to its association with declines in brain and motor function yet not all aspects of brain function are equally affected. The cerebellum, a brain region closely linked to motor control, undergoes clear structural changes with age, but the impact of this degeneration on cerebellar function remains debated. The present study thoroughly investigates the impact of age on cerebellar function by measuring cerebellar motor and cognitive performance across the lifespan in 50 young adults (20-35 years), 80 older adults (55-70 years), and 30 older-old adults (over 80 years). Participants completed a test battery comprising seven motor control tasks and one cognitive task each designed to probe both cerebellar-specific and general sensorimotor function. Our results revealed that, despite age-related changes in cerebellar structure, cerebellar-specific functions remained intact in older adults compared to young adults, even among those above 80 years old. In contrast, general sensorimotor measures showed a clear pattern of decline with age. Together, these findings indicate that cerebellar function is largely preserved despite pronounced structural degeneration, providing compelling evidence for the cerebellum's remarkable functional resilience.