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Electrophysiological Activity of Multifunctional and Behaviorally Specialized Spinal Neurons Involved in Swimming, Scratching, and Flexion Reflex in Turtles.

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Related Experiment Video

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Activity of Posterior Lateral Line Afferent Neurons during Swimming in Zebrafish
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Flexion Reflex Can Interrupt and Reset the Swimming Rhythm.

Matthew S Elson1, Ari Berkowitz2

  • 1Department of Biology and.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|March 4, 2016
PubMed
Summary

The spinal cord controls basic movements like leg withdrawal and swimming. This study shows that the neural circuits for leg withdrawal and swimming share common components in turtles, suggesting a general principle across vertebrates.

Keywords:
central pattern generatorlocomotionmultifunctionalspinal cordturtlewithdrawal

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Comparative Physiology
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • The spinal cord generates basic motor patterns like reflexes and locomotion independently of brain input.
  • It's hypothesized that common spinal interneurons mediate hip flexion in reflexes, locomotion, and scratching.
  • Previous studies showed interactions between leg flexion reflexes and walking/scratching rhythms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if leg flexion reflexes interact with the spinal swimming network.
  • To determine if the flexion reflex shares neural components with the swimming spinal network.

Main Methods:

  • Using spinal, immobilized turtles.
  • Applying foot stimuli during different phases of the swimming rhythm.
  • Recording hip flexor nerve activity and monitoring swimming rhythm.

Main Results:

  • Foot taps reset the swimming rhythm when applied during the hip extensor phase.
  • The hip flexor nerve response to foot stimuli was reduced during the hip extensor phase.
  • These findings demonstrate phase-dependent interactions between flexion reflex and swimming.

Conclusions:

  • The flexion reflex spinal circuit shares key components with or strongly interacts with the swimming spinal network.
  • These interactions are similar to those observed with walking and scratching.
  • Spinal cord networks for flexion reflex, locomotion, and scratching likely share interneurons across vertebrates.