INSTITUTION	DEGREE	YEAR(S)	FIELD OF STUDY
University of Cape Town, South Africa	MB, ChB	1974 - 1980	Medicine
Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town	Intern	1981	Medicine and Surgery
Boston City Hospital	Resident	1982-1985	Neurology
Boston University School of Medicine	Postdoctoral	1985-1988	Anatomy/ Neurobiology

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Professional Information

Primary Specialty:

· Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology; Ataxia and Cerebellar Disorders

Harvard Medical School:

· Associate Professor of Neurology

· Neurology Clerkship Director (HMS Registrar's Office)

· Scholar, The Academy at Harvard Medical School

Massachusetts General Hospital:

· Associate Neurologist

· Director, Ataxia Unit. Click here to visit the National Ataxia Foundation website.

· Cognitive / Behavioral Neurology Unit. Click here to visit the Partners Program of Excellence in Alzheimer's and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases.

· Geriatric Neurobehavior Clinic

Societies:

· Medical and Scientific Advisory Board of the National Ataxia Foundation

· Education Subcommittee of the American Neuropsychiatric Association

· Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology

· Member of the American Neurological Association

· Past President of the Boston Society of Neurology and Psychiatry

Clinical and Research Interests:

Major Research Interests:

1. Anatomy and function of the cerebellum and cerebrocerebellar system in human and monkey.

2. Cognitive and affective disturbances following cerebellar lesions in human and monkey.

3. Organization of white matter fiber systems of the brain of the human and monkey.

4. Neurobehavioral correlates of focal cerebral lesions.

Narrative Description of Research

My central hypothesis is that the cerebellum is an integral component of the neural circuitry subserving cognitive operations. I have pursued this line of investigation using connectional neuroanatomy, clinical evaluation of patients, and development of tools that permit the analysis of functional imaging experiments. Using the rhesus monkey model, in conjunction with Deepak N. Pandya I have used tract tracer methodology to study the corticopontine pathways that are the first step in the feedforward limb of the cerebrocerebellar system. We determined that there is a strong and consistent input to the basis pontis from the association areas in the cerebral cortex. These projections are derived from the posterior parietal, dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal, superior temporal polymodal, and paralimbic cortices in the posterior parahippocampal region. The patterns of terminations of the projections to the pons from these associative cortical regions are distinct, separate and highly ordered both within the cerebral white matter, and at the sites of termination within the basilar pontine nuclei. Tract tracer studies of other aspects of the cerebrocerebellar system that we have performed reveal projections from cerebellar-recipient thalamic nuclei to multimodal parts of the posterior parietal cortex. We have also shown that there are cingulate, prefrontal, and posterior parietal projections to a subcortical nucleus (the zona incerta) that feeds into the inferior olive. This is relevant for the hypotheses that relate to a role for the cerebellum in nonmotor learning. These anatomic investigations have established some of the anatomic substrates that could support the notion that the cerebellum is part of the distributed neural circuitry subserving cognitive operations. Further anatomic studies of the missing details of the cerebrocerebellar system are planned.

We hypothesized that the cerebellum functions to improve mental performance, and that there are clinically relevant deficits that result from cerebellar lesions. We pursued this question by studying patients (adults and children) with lesions confined to the cerebellum. These patients demonstrate a Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome, characterized by disturbances of executive, visual-spatial, linguistic, and affective behavior. We believe these clinical manifestations reflect dysmetria of thought, reflecting the loss of the cerebellar stabilizing/modifying influence on mental and emotional behaviors.

We further hypothesized a topographic organization of function within the cerebellum. To pursue this it was necessary to develop an atlas of the human cerebellum in Talairach coordinate space, and in so doing we revised the cerebellar nomenclature. We used this atlas to develop a semi-flattened map of the human cerebellum and have performed a meta-analysis of functional imaging experiments that demonstrates cerebellar activation by motor, sensory and cognitive tasks. This work suggests that the human cerebellum is organized into separate regions subserving sensorimotor, cognitive and emotional/autonomic processing.

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Original Publications

Anatomical, clinical, and theoretical papers relating to the role of the cerebellum in cognition and affect

Schmahmann JD, Pandya DN. Anatomical investigation of projections to the basis pontis from posterior parietal association cortices in rhesus monkey. J. Comp. Neurol. 1989; 289:53 -73. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Pandya DN. Anatomical investigation of thalamic projections to the posterior parietal cortices in rhesus monkey. J. Comp. Neurol. 1990; 295:299-326. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Pandya DN. Projections to the basis pontis from the superior temporal sulcus and superior temporal region in the rhesus monkey. J. Comp. Neurol. 1991; 308:224-248. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD. An emerging concept: The cerebellar contribution to higher function. Archiv. Neurol. 1991; 48:1178-1187. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD. The neuropsychology of the cerebellum - an emerging concept. Reply. (Letter) Archiv. Neurol. 1992:49; 1230. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Nitsch R, Pandya DN. The mysterious relocation of the bundle of Türck. Brain 1992;115:1911-1924. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Pandya DN. Course of the fiber pathways to pons from parasensory association areas in the Rhesus Monkey. J. Comp. Neurol. 1992; 326:159-179. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Pandya DN. Prelunate, occipitotemporal, and parahipppocampal projections to the basis pontis in rhesus monkey. J. Comp. Neurol. 1993; 337:94-112. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Pandya DN. Prefrontal cortex projections to the basilar pons: implications for the cerebellar contribution to higher function. Neuroscience Letters 1995; 199:175-178. (Article)

Schmahmann JD. (1996) From movement to thought: Anatomic substrates of the cerebellar contribution to cognitive processing. Human Brain Mapping, 4:174-198. (Click here to view a higher magnification of the composite diagram (below) of the corticopontine projection in the rhesus monkey).

Schmahmann JD. Dysmetria of thought: Correlations and conundrums in the relationship between the cerebellum, learning, and cognitive processing. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1996;19(3):472-473.

Schmahmann JD and Pandya DN. Anatomic organization of the basilar pontine projections from prefrontal cortices in rhesus monkey. J. Neurosci. 1997; 17:438-458. (Article)

Schmahmann JD. Rediscovery of an early concept. In: Schmahmann JD, ed. The Cerebellum and Cognition. Int. Rev. Neurobiol. 1997; 41:3-27. San Diego, Academic Press. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD and Pandya DN. The cerebrocerebellar system. In: Schmahmann JD, ed. The Cerebellum and Cognition. Int. Rev. Neurobiol. 1997; 41:31-60. San Diego, Academic Press. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Sherman JC. Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. In: Schmahmann JD, ed. The Cerebellum and Cognition. Int. Rev. Neurobiol. 1997; 41:433-440. San Diego, Academic Press. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD. Therapeutic and research implications. In: Schmahmann JD, ed. The Cerebellum and Cognition. Int. Rev. Neurobiol. 1997; 41:637-647. San Diego, Academic Press. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD and Sherman JC. The cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. Brain 1998; 121: 561-579. (Abstract)

· See Editorial, Brain 1998; 121: 545-546.

· Abstract republished at request of editor in Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Dana C. Lawrence, editor, Mosby Inc. publishers.

· Paper presented in précis form, and discussed with commentary at request of editor in Neurology Network Commentary 1998; 2: 221-224. The cerebellum: Lower is not lesser. [The cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. Article by Jeremy D. Schmahmann and Janet C. Sherman, Brain 1998; 121: 561-579. Commentary by Orrin Devisnky, M.D. and Souhel Najjar, M.D.]

Schmahmann JD. Dysmetria of thought. Clinical consequences of cerebellar dysfunction on cognition and affect. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 1998;2: 362-370.

Schmahmann JD, Sherman JC. The cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. (Letter). Brain 1998; 121:2203-05. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Doyon J, McDonald D,Holmes C, Lavoie K, Hurwitz AS, Kabani N, Toga A, Evans A, Petrides M. Three-dimensional MRI atlas of the human cerebellum in proportional stereotaxic space. NeuroImage 1999;10: 233-260. (Article)

Kim HG, Schmahmann JD, Sims K, Falk W, Stern TA, Norris ER. A neuropsychiatric presentation of mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes. Medicine and Psychiatry 1999; 2: 3-9.

Levisohn L, Cronin-Golomb A, Schmahmann JD. Neuropsychological consequences of cerebellar tumor resection in children: Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome in a pediatric population. Brain 2000;123 :1041-50. (Article)

Schmahmann JD. The role of the cerebellum in affect and psychosis. Journal of Neurolinguistics. 2000; 13:189-214.

Schmahmann JD. The cerebrocerebellar system: Anatomic substrates of the cerebellar contribution to cognition and emotion. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2001; 13: 247-260.

Schmahmann JD. The cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome: Clinical correlations of the dysmetria of thought hypothesis. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2001; 13: 313-322.

Schmahmann JD, Anderson CM, Newton N, Ellis R . The function of the cerebellum in cognition, affect, and consciousness. Empirical support for the embodied mind. Consciousness and Emotion. 2001; 2 (2): 273-309.

Makris N, Hodge SM, Haselgrove C, Kennedy DN, Dale A, Fischl B, Rosen BR, Harris G, Caviness VS Jr, Schmahmann JD. Human Cerebellum: Surface Assisted Cortical Parcellation and Volumetry with Magnetic Resonance Imaging. J. Cogn. Neurosci. 2003; 15: 584-99. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD. Vascular Syndromes of the Thalamus. Stroke 2003:34; 2264-2278. Epub 2003 Aug 21. (Article)

Schmahmann JD. Plasmapheresis improves outcome in post-infectious cerebellitis induced by Epstein-Barr virus. Neurology. 2004; 62: 1443.

Schmahmann JD, Rosene DL, Pandya DN. The motor corticopontine projection in rhesus monkey. Journal of Comparative Neurology. 2004; 478: 248 – 268.

Schmahmann JD, MacMore J, Ko R. The human basis pontis. Clinical syndromes and topographic organization. Brain. 2004; 127: 1269-91. Epub 2004
May 05. (Article)

Schmahmann JD, Rosene DL, Pandya DN. Ataxia from basis pontis stroke: An experimental study of pontocerebellar fibers in monkey. Annals of Neurology. 2004; 55: 585-589. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD. Disorders of the cerebellum. Ataxia, dysmetria of thought, and the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. Journal of Neuropsychiatry
and Clinical Neurosciences. 2004; 16(3): 367-378.

Schmahmann JD. Commentary: Cognition and the cerebellum. Neurology 2004; 63 (11): 1991.

Makris N, Schlerf JE, Hodge SM, Haselgrove C, Albaugh MD, Seidman LJ, Rauch SL, Harris GJ, Biederman J, Caviness VS, Kennedy DN, Schmahmann
JD. MRI-based surface assisted parcellation of human cerebellar cortex: An anatomically specified method with estimate of reliability. Neuroimage
2005: 25: 1146-1160.

Cochrane T, Schmahmann JD. Compressive myelopathy presenting as cervical cord neurapraxia: A new differential diagnosis of transient ischemic attack.
Neurology 2005; 65:1140-1.

Schmahmann JD, Caplan D. Cognition, emotion and the cerebellum. Commentary on Brain 2006; 129: 306-320. Brain 2006; 129: 290-2.

Schmahmann JD, Pandya DN. Cerebral white matter – evolution of facts and notions concerning the organization of the fiber pathways of the brain. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, 2006, in press.

Schmahmann JD, Pandya DN. The complex history of the fronto-occipital fasciculus. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, 2006, in press.

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Other Behavioral Neurology and General Neurology Reports

Schmahmann JD. The mind-body state. Inyanga: Journal of the University of Cape Town Medical

School 1978; 1:32-36.

Schmahmann JD. Medical manpower in Southern Africa. Inyanga: Journal of the University of Cape

Town Medical School 1979; 1:67-68.

Schmahmann JD. Psittacosis centenary - "pneumotyphus" reviewed. S. Afr. Med. J. 1982; 62:898-901. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Dent DM, Mervis B, Kottler RE. Cholecystitis in an intrahepatic gallbladder. S. Afr. Med. J. 1982;62:1042-3. (Abstract)

Caplan LR, Schmahmann, JD, Kase CS, Feldmann E, Baquis G, Greenberg JP, Gorelick PB, Helgason C, Hier DB. Caudate Infarcts. Archiv. Neurol. 1990; 47:133-143. (Abstract)

Schmahmann JD, Leifer D. Parietal pseudothalamic pain syndrome. Clinical features and anatomical correlates. Archiv. Neurol. 1992; 49:1032-1037. (Abstract)

· Full text of paper reprinted at request of publisher in: Yearbook of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Chicago, Mosby, 1993.

Cher LD, Hochberg FH, Teruya J, Nitschke M, Valenzuela RF, Schmahmann JD, Herbert M, Rosas HD, Stowell C. Therapy for paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes in six patients with protein A column immunoadsorption. Cancer 1995; 75:1678-1683. (Abstract)

Cramer SC, Segal A, Hamilton R, Schmahmann J, Ma MJ. Leukoencephalitis due to varicella zoster virus: Report of a case and review of clinical features. Contemporary Neurology 1996:1.

Schwartzschild M, Rordorf G, Bekken K, Buonanno F, Schmahmann JD. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus with Misleading Features of Irreversible Dementias. A Case Report. J. Geri. Psychiat. Neurol. 1997; 10:51-54. (Abstract)

· Full text of paper reprinted at request of editor in Dementia 1998; 4:14-16.

Schmahmann JD. Neurologic manifestations of late stage AIDS: Part I. Resident and Staff Physician 1997; 43: 20-29.

Schmahmann JD. Neurologic manifestations of late stage AIDS: Part II. Resident and Staff Physician 1998; 44: 45-59.

Daly E, Zaitchik D, Copeland M, Schmahmann J, Gunther J, Albert M. Predicting conversion to Alzheimer disease using standardized clinical information. Arch Neurol 2000;57:675-680. (Abstract)

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Selected Chapters

On Cerebellum and Cognition

Schmahmann JD. The cerebellum in autism: Clinical and anatomic perspectives. In: Bauman ML, Kemper TL, eds. The Neurobiology of Autism. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994. pp.195-226. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

Schmahmann JD. Cerebellum - the true thinking machine. In: Zigmond M, Bloom F, Landis S, Roberts J, Squire L, eds. Fundamental Neuroscience. San Diego, Academic Press. 1998. p. 985. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

Schmahmann JD. A new role for the cerebellum. The modulation of cognition and affect. In: Joseph AB and Young RR, (eds.) Movement Disorders in Neurology and Neuropsychiatry, 2^nd edition. Boston, Blackwell Science. 1999. pp. 693-709. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

Schmahmann JD. Cerebellum and Brainstem. In: Toga A, Mazziotta, J, eds. Brain Mapping. The Systems. San Diego, Academic Press. 2000. Pp. 207-259. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

Schmahmann JD. Impairments of cognition and affect following cerebellar lesions. In: Manto M, Pandolofo M. The Cerebellum. Cambridge University Press. 2001.

Schmahmann JD. Comment on Parvizi J, Anderson SW, Martin CO, Damasio H, Damasio AR. Pathological laughter and crying. A link to the cerebellum. Brain 2001; 124: 1708-1719. Journal Watch Neurology. 2001.

Schmahmann JD. Dysmetria of Thought: The Role of the Cerebellum in Cognition and Emotion. In: Bédard, M.-A., Agid Y, Chouinard S, Fahn S, Korczyn A, Lesperance P. Mental and Behavioral Dysfunction in Movement Disorders. Humana Press, New Jersey. 2003: 59 - 81.

Schmahmann JD. Subcortical Deficits. In: Rizzo M, Eslinger PJ. (Eds.), Principles and Practice of Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychology. New York: Saunders. 2003.

Schmahmann JD. Cognition and emotion in ataxic disorders. Newsletter of the European Federation of Hereditary Ataxias. 2003; 24: in press.

Cerebellar motor and cognitive functions. In: Leiguardia R, Freund H-J, Jeannerod M, Hallett M (eds.) Higher Order Motor Disorders: from Neuroanatomy and Neurobiology to Clinical Neurology. Oxford University Press. In press.

Schmahmann JD. The cerebellum and Cognition. Course Syllabus, 56^th Annual Meeting, American Academy of Neurology, San Francisco, California, April 30^th, 2004.

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General Neurology

Schmahmann JD, Venna N. Acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy: The Guillain-Barré syndrome. In: Heffernan JJ, Witzburg RA, Cohen AS, eds. Clinical Problems in Acute Care Medicine. Philadelphia, WB Saunders, 1989:484-491. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

Schmahmann JD, Sabin TD. Acute nontraumatic spinal cord dysfunction. In: Callaham M, ed. Current Therapy in Emergency Medicine. New York: BC Decker, 1987:309-313. Revised in Second edition, 1991:348-353. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

Schmahmann JD, Leifer D. Parietal pseudothalamic pain syndrome. Clinical features and anatomical correlates. In: Yearbook of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Chicago, Mosby, 1993. Reprinted from Archiv. Neurol. 1992;49:1032-1037, at request of publisher.

Schmahmann JD. Diseases of the Spinal Cord. In: Noble J, ed. Primary Care and General Medicine.

St. Louis, Mosby. 1996. pp. 1431-1451. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

Schmahmann JD. Whipple Disease of the Central Nervous System. In : Noseworthy JH (ed.) Neurological Therapeutics: Principles and Practice. Martin Dunitz, London. 2003. pp. 1499 – 1501.

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Monographs

Schmahmann JD. ed. The Cerebellum and Cognition. International Review of Neurobiology. Volume 41. San Diego, Academic Press. 1997. Click here to visit the Academic Press website. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

Schmahmann JD, Doyon J, Toga A, Evans A, Petrides M. MRI Atlas of the Human Cerebellum. San Diego, Academic Press. 2000. Click here to visit the Academic Press website. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

Schmahmann JD, Pandya DN. Fiber Pathways of the Brain. New York: Oxford University Press. 2006. Click here to visit the Oxford University Press website. Click here to visit the Amazon website.

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Print and Web Media Articles

Richardson, S. Tarzan's little brain. Discover 1996; pp. 100 - 102.

Barinaga, M. The Cerebellum: Movement Coordinator or Much More? Science 1996; 272: 482 - 483.

The cerebellum: Lower is not lesser. Neurology Network Commentary 1998; 2: 221-224. [The cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. Article by Jeremy D. Schmahmann and Janet C. Sherman, Brain 1998; 121: 561-579.] Paper presented in précis form, and discussed with commentary at request of editor. Commentary by Orrin Devisnky, M.D. and Souhel Najjar, M.D.]

May, P. Doctors: Tyson troubled but fit. Boston Globe Online/Sports. 10/14/98. Neurological assessment here.

Leonard J. The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Unlocking the secrets of the brain's basement. Harvard Magazine. May-June 1999. pp. 56 - 62. Article focusing on Schmahmann's contribution to the emerging role of the cerebellum in cognitive neuroscience.

Holzman D. Cerebellum Modulates Cognitive Function. Neurology News. May 17, 2000.

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Staff at MassGeneral Hospital

For a medical appointment, contact the office secretary at (617) 726-3216

For information on research at the Schmahmann Lab, contact Jason MacMore at (617) 726-5060 or email jmacmore@partners.org

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"The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Unlocking the secrets of the brain's basement"

Harvard Magazine (May/June 99 issue)