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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pediatr Neurol. 2019 Nov 29;104:19–22. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2019.11.007

Table 1.

Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for Posterior Fossa Syndrome

Criterion A. Acquired cerebellar injury (e.g., post-surgical or stroke-related), with symptoms in Criteria B, and C or D, emerging within two weeks of injury.
Criterion B. Presence of one of the following speech and/or language deficits:

  1. Mutism (inability to speak) or

  2. Significant impairment in language as indicated by one or more of the following: reduced phrase length (speech limited to single words or 2- to 3-word phrases), agrammatism, atypical speech rate/rhythm (slowed, gaited, ballistic), and/or dysnomia.
Criterion C. Presence of notable changes in mood/affect characterized by irritability (excessive tearfulness, crying, agitation, or anger), emotional lability (rapid changes in mood), and/or flat affect.
Criterion D. Presence of motor dysfunction defined as: apraxia (inability to execute purposeful movements on command, despite having the physical capacity to perform the movement), ataxia (difficulty coordinating muscle movements), dysmetria (undershoot or overshoot of intended position with the hand, arm, or leg), hypokinesia (abnormally diminished motor activity), and/or hemiparesis (weakness one side of the body).

Note: *Criteria A and B1 (mutism) are sufficient for a diagnosis of PFS. In the absence of B1 (mutism), Criteria A, B2, and C or D must be met for diagnosis of PFS.