Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Hierarchy of Motor Control01:18

Hierarchy of Motor Control

6.6K
The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.
6.6K
Brainstem01:19

Brainstem

7.5K
The brainstem, located inferior to the brain and superior to the spinal cord, serves as a bridge between the cerebrum and the spinal cord. It plays a vital role in relaying information and controlling critical life functions. It comprises three primary regions: the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.
The Midbrain
The midbrain is located beneath the diencephalon and connects the cerebrum with the lower parts of the brain. The cerebral peduncles are prominent midbrain structures that house the...
7.5K
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

3.8K
The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
3.8K
Motor Units01:13

Motor Units

9.1K
The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
9.1K
Motor Units00:46

Motor Units

62.3K
A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.
62.3K
Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

4.2K
When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
4.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Two conserved vocal central pattern generators broadly tuned for fast and slow rates generate species-specific vocalizations in <i>Xenopus</i> clawed frogs.

eLife·2023
Same author

Ex Vivo Brain Preparation to Analyze Vocal Pathways of <i>Xenopus</i> Frogs.

Cold Spring Harbor protocols·2021
Same author

Inspiring song: The role of respiratory circuitry in the evolution of vertebrate vocal behavior.

Developmental neurobiology·2020
Same author

Central pattern generators reveal neuronal circuit dynamics across many time scales.

Developmental neurobiology·2020
Same author

Generation, Coordination, and Evolution of Neural Circuits for Vocal Communication.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2020
Same author

Feedback to the future: motor neuron contributions to central pattern generator function.

The Journal of experimental biology·2019

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 7, 2026

Zebrafish In Situ Spinal Cord Preparation for Electrophysiological Recordings from Spinal Sensory and Motor Neurons
08:24

Zebrafish In Situ Spinal Cord Preparation for Electrophysiological Recordings from Spinal Sensory and Motor Neurons

Published on: April 18, 2017

12.1K

Motor Neurons Tune Premotor Activity in a Vertebrate Central Pattern Generator.

Kristy J Lawton1, Wick M Perry1, Ayako Yamaguchi2

  • 1Biology Department, Reed College, Portland, Oregon 97202, and.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|February 22, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Motor neurons in the frog vocal central pattern generator (CPG) activate a bottom-up pathway, providing inhibitory signals essential for premotor rhythm generation. This study reveals a novel role for motor neuron feedback in CPG function.

Keywords:
CPGXenopusfeedbacksynchronyvocalvocalization

More Related Videos

Homarus Americanus Stomatogastric Nervous System Dissection
26:22

Homarus Americanus Stomatogastric Nervous System Dissection

Published on: May 28, 2009

11.6K
Extracellularly Identifying Motor Neurons for a Muscle Motor Pool in Aplysia californica
13:37

Extracellularly Identifying Motor Neurons for a Muscle Motor Pool in Aplysia californica

Published on: March 25, 2013

12.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 7, 2026

Zebrafish In Situ Spinal Cord Preparation for Electrophysiological Recordings from Spinal Sensory and Motor Neurons
08:24

Zebrafish In Situ Spinal Cord Preparation for Electrophysiological Recordings from Spinal Sensory and Motor Neurons

Published on: April 18, 2017

12.1K
Homarus Americanus Stomatogastric Nervous System Dissection
26:22

Homarus Americanus Stomatogastric Nervous System Dissection

Published on: May 28, 2009

11.6K
Extracellularly Identifying Motor Neurons for a Muscle Motor Pool in Aplysia californica
13:37

Extracellularly Identifying Motor Neurons for a Muscle Motor Pool in Aplysia californica

Published on: March 25, 2013

12.2K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Systems Neuroscience

Background:

  • Central pattern generators (CPGs) are neural circuits driving rhythmic motor output.
  • Vertebrate CPGs typically operate top-down, with premotor neurons activating motor neurons.
  • The frog vocal CPG has an unexplored motor-to-premotor projection, suggesting a recurrent pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the function of the bottom-up motor-to-premotor connection in the Xenopus laevis vocal CPG.
  • To investigate the role of this recurrent pathway in generating rhythmic vocalizations.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded fictive vocalizations and premotor activity in vitro.
  • Transected the motor-to-premotor projection.
  • Silenced motor neurons using QX-314.
  • Blocked nicotinic synapses in the motor nucleus.
  • Electrically stimulated the laryngeal nerve.

Main Results:

  • Transecting the motor-to-premotor projection eliminated characteristic premotor firing rates.
  • Motor neuron silencing and blockade of nicotinic synapses disrupted premotor rhythms.
  • Stimulation elicited inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) in premotor neurons, blocked by nicotinic antagonists.
  • An inhibitory signal from motor neurons is required for CPG function.

Conclusions:

  • The Xenopus laevis vocal CPG utilizes a bottom-up, inhibitory feedback loop from motor neurons to premotor neurons.
  • This motor neuron activity is crucial for precise premotor rhythm generation.
  • Findings suggest motor neuron involvement in CPGs may be more widespread than previously thought.