Effects of anthropometric factors on human cerebellum weight and its developmental dynamics

Abstract

The aim of the present work was to study the relationship between cerebellum weight and its evelopmental dynamics on the one hand and body length and type of physique on the other. Studies involved 295 corpses of both genders (173 men and 122 women) dying at age 20–99 years. Body length was measured, along with the cross-sectional diameter of the thoracic cage and cerebellum weight. Somatotypes were identifi ed using the Rice-Eysenck index. Human cerebellum weight from was found to vary over the range 103–197 g (mean 144 ± 1.0 g) and was signifi cantly greater in men than women (150.5 ± 1.3 g and 133.9 ± 1.2 g, p < 0.001). Age had a greater infl uence on cerebellar weight in men than in women (R = –0.46 and –0.43, respectively). In men, the period of relatively stable cerebellar weight lasted to about 50 years of age, which was followed by a period of decreasing cerebellar weight. In women, the stable period lasted to about 70 years. Cerebellar weight was related to body length (R = 0.35 for men and R = 0.36 for women). The relationship between cerebellum weight and body length in men (1.0 g/cm) was greater than that in women (0.5 g/cm): the differences in cerebellum weights in men and women increased with increases in body length. Differences in cerebellum weight in people with different types of physique were minor.