[Analysis of locomotor activity in decerebrated cats during electromagnetic and epidural electrical spinal cord...

It was shown that the epidural and the electromagnetic tonic stimulation with frequency 5 Hz applied to the lumbal as well as to the cervical region of the spinal cord enabled stepping on a moving treadmill belt in decerebrated cats. It was found that there were differences in initiation of the stepping movements during epidural and electromagnetic stimulation depending on the region of spinal cord stimulation. Stimulation at frequency of 0.3 Hz induced single reflex responses in the anterior and posterior limbs. On the basis of analysis of the response structure it was concluded that the locomotor ability during epidural and electromagnetic stimulation depended on the degree of polysynaptic pathways activation. The hypothesis about stepping pattern generator activation through the dorsal roots during epidural stimulation and more direct activation of neuronal locomotor networks in the case of electromagnetic spinal cord stimulation is discussed.