Cerebellum’s Role in Dual Tasking with Automaticity of Movements

People perform dual task performances involving cognitive and motor processes. For example, a skilled typist can type while holding a conversation. The cerebellum plays a key role in allowing individuals to perform these kinds of tasks simultaneously. In the performance of these dual tasks, motor movements are " automatic " or trivial to many individuals and thus, do not require explicit attention. Damage to this brain region may impair the performance of automatic motor tasks. Through neuroimaging, researchers were able to show the importance and involvement of the cerebellum in automation during the performance of two concurrent tasks. However, the specific role of the cerebellum in cognition and true mechanism of automation remains a challenge for future investigations.