Development of brain structures following perinatal cerebral lesions suggests the involvement of the cerebellum in the working memory network

Crossed cerebro-cerebellar diaschisis in very preterm born individuals, following perinatal cerebral lesions, reveals functional connectivity between some cerebral areas involved in working memory (WM) and yet undefined cerebellar regions: this may support the role of the latter in the WM network. The cerebellum has long been associated with motor control and coordination. In the last two decades, researchers have studied its involvement in a broad range of cognitive functions, such as visuospatial attention and WM. In this overview, I define the brain regions activated by the WM network and their development in term- and very preterm- infants compared, according to the most recent studies. These findings could contribute to support the involvement of the cerebellum in non-motor functions, specifically in WM.