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 Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Automated Rat Single-Pellet Reaching with 3-Dimensional Reconstruction of Paw and Digit Trajectories
07:52

Automated Rat Single-Pellet Reaching with 3-Dimensional Reconstruction of Paw and Digit Trajectories

Published on: July 10, 2019

14.5K

Intersectional genetic tools to study skilled reaching in mice.

Fabricio do Couto Nicola1, Isabelle Hua1, Ariel J Levine1

  • 1Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States of America.

Experimental Neurology
|October 1, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Crowdsourcing Medical School Admissions Data: Development and Analysis of the CycleTrack Platform.

Journal of medical Internet research·2026
Same author

Expression and Localization of NMDA Receptor GluN2 Subunits in Dorsal Horn Pain Circuits across Sex, Species, and Late Postnatal Development.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
Same author

A spinal substrate for modular control of natural behavior.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Ontogeny of the spinal cord dorsal horn.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Innovations in spinal cord cell type heterogeneity across vertebrate evolution.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Expression and localization of NMDA receptor GluN2 subunits in dorsal horn pain circuits across sex, species, and late postnatal development.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

This study reviews reaching and grasping movements, detailing motor phases and neuronal control. Genetic tools help pinpoint specific brain and spinal cord cell types involved in skilled reaching behaviors.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Mammalian Behavior

Background:

  • Reaching to grasp is a fundamental, evolutionarily conserved motor behavior in mammals.
  • It serves as a model system for understanding complex motor control across the nervous system.
  • Key principles of motor control are illuminated through laboratory studies of reaching.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the distinct motor phases of reaching, grasping, and retracting movements.
  • To highlight the utility of intersectional genetic tools in mapping movements to neuronal substrates.
  • To describe the roles of spinal cord cell types and descending/sensory pathways in skilled reaching.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on reaching behavior and motor control.
Keywords:
Intersectional geneticsSkilled reachingSpinal cord

More Related Videos

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice
06:04

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Published on: March 4, 2014

21.5K
Evaluating Skilled Prehension in Mice Using an Auto-Trainer
05:01

Evaluating Skilled Prehension in Mice Using an Auto-Trainer

Published on: September 12, 2019

5.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Automated Rat Single-Pellet Reaching with 3-Dimensional Reconstruction of Paw and Digit Trajectories
07:52

Automated Rat Single-Pellet Reaching with 3-Dimensional Reconstruction of Paw and Digit Trajectories

Published on: July 10, 2019

14.5K
Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice
06:04

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Published on: March 4, 2014

21.5K
Evaluating Skilled Prehension in Mice Using an Auto-Trainer
05:01

Evaluating Skilled Prehension in Mice Using an Auto-Trainer

Published on: September 12, 2019

5.8K
  • Discussion of intersectional genetic techniques for neuronal circuit analysis.
  • Examination of studies on spinal cord cell types and brain-descending pathways.

    • Main Results:

    • Reaching behavior comprises distinct motor elements: reach, grasp, and retract.
    • Intersectional genetic tools enable precise linking of neural substrates to specific motor phases.
    • Specific spinal cord cell types and descending/sensory pathways are critical for skilled reaching.

    Conclusions:

    • Genetic perturbation experiments are powerful for identifying neuronal substrates of reaching phases.
    • Understanding skilled reaching requires integrating knowledge of spinal cord, brain, and peripheral systems.
    • This review synthesizes current understanding and emphasizes the role of genetic approaches in motor control research.