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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
07:52
In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
Published on: November 22, 2021
[Locomotor control by the brainstem and spinal cord].
Kaoru Takakusaki1, Kiyoji Matsuyama
1Research Center for Brain Function and Medical Engineering, Asahikawa Medical University, School of Medicine, Asahikawa, Japan.
Brain and Nerve = Shinkei Kenkyu No Shinpo
|November 12, 2010
Summary
Locomotion relies on automatic muscle tone and postural adjustments controlled by the brainstem and spinal cord. Disruptions in forebrain input to these areas can cause locomotor control disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Physiology
Context:
- Locomotion is a fundamental animal behavior.
- Goal-directed movement involves complex neural coordination.
- The brainstem and spinal cord are central to motor control.
Purpose:
- To review the role of the brainstem and spinal cord in controlling postural muscle tone and generating locomotor rhythms.
- To discuss how forebrain input influences these brainstem-spinal cord mechanisms.
- To explore the link between disrupted neural convergence and locomotor disorders.
Summary:
- The brainstem and spinal cord house essential mechanisms for controlling postural muscle tone and generating locomotor rhythms.
- Forebrain structures (cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, limbic-hypothalamic systems) and the cerebellum project to the brainstem-spinal cord to modulate locomotion.
- Abnormalities in these projections contribute to the pathogenesis of disturbances in locomotor control.
Impact:
- Provides insights into the neural basis of locomotion and postural control.
- Highlights the importance of the brainstem and spinal cord in motor function.
- Offers a framework for understanding neurological conditions affecting movement.
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