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Using the MouseWalker to Quantify Locomotor Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Spinal Cord Injury

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The mammalian central pattern generator for locomotion.

Pierre A Guertin¹

¹Laval University Medical Center, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. pierre.Guertin@crchul.ulaval.ca

Brain Research Reviews

|September 2, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Neural networks called central pattern generators (CPGs) control locomotion like walking and swimming across species. This review summarizes findings on the spinal cord network

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control

Background:

Thomas Graham Brown's early 20th-century experiments initiated a paradigm shift in understanding locomotion control.
Subsequent research from the 1960s onwards provided extensive evidence supporting Brown's findings.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a comprehensive review of the organization and properties of the central pattern generator (CPG) network for locomotion.
To synthesize key findings on how this neuronal network controls movement across species.

Main Methods:

Review of historical and contemporary scientific literature on the neural control of locomotion.
Synthesis of experimental evidence from various species, focusing on mammals.

Main Results:

Locomotion (walking, flying, swimming) is primarily controlled by a neuronal network known as the central pattern generator (CPG).
In mammals, the CPG is a caudally localized spinal cord network responsible for generating rhythmic motor commands for limb muscles.
The CPG network dictates the basic rhythm and pattern of locomotor movements.

Conclusions:

The central pattern generator (CPG) network is fundamental to the neural control of locomotion across diverse species.
Understanding the organization and properties of the CPG network is crucial for advancing research in motor control and neuroscience.