Locomotor pattern generation and descending control: a historical perspective

The ability to generate and control locomotor movements depends on complex interactions between many areas of the nervous system, the musculoskeletal system, and the environment. How the nervous system manages to accomplish this task has been the subject of investigation for more than a century. In...

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Published inJournal of neurophysiology Vol. 130; no. 2; pp. 401 - 416
Main Authors Dubuc, Réjean, Cabelguen, Jean-Marie, Ryczko, Dimitri
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States American Physiological Society 01.08.2023
Subjects
Life Sciences
Neurons and Cognition
Locomotion
Spinal cord
Central pattern generator
Brainstem
Brain stem
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ISSN0022-3077
1522-1598
1522-1598
DOI10.1152/jn.00204.2023

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Summary:The ability to generate and control locomotor movements depends on complex interactions between many areas of the nervous system, the musculoskeletal system, and the environment. How the nervous system manages to accomplish this task has been the subject of investigation for more than a century. In vertebrates, locomotion is generated by neural networks located in the spinal cord referred to as central pattern generators. Descending inputs from the brain stem initiate, maintain, and stop locomotion as well as control speed and direction. Sensory inputs adapt locomotor programs to the environmental conditions. This review presents a comparative and historical overview of some of the neural mechanisms underlying the control of locomotion in vertebrates. We have put an emphasis on spinal mechanisms and descending control.
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ISSN:0022-3077
1522-1598
1522-1598
DOI:10.1152/jn.00204.2023