Independently controlled EMG responses in treadmill locomotion by cats

Cats were trained to walk and trot on a motor-driven treadmill such that mean kinematic timings were highly uniform. Evidence was sought that variations in electromyographic activity in individual muscles was due to separate sources of control. EMGs were recorded on magnetic tape from a knee extensor, vastus lateralis (VL), and a hip flexor, iliopsoas (IP). At the same time, the cat's movements were recorded on 16 mm cine film at 100 frames per sec. In accordance with previous reports, VL showed one long main burst during the stance (down) portion of the step cycle. However, there were two onset times. A late swing (foot up) component began a few msec before touchdown in every stride in every cat. In contrast, in some cats an earlier burst, that was not completely continuous with the main burst, began 50-100 msec before touchdown and was present in most but not all individual strides. In a few animals there was also an occasional burst in mid-swing. The stance burst itself was further subdivided into multiple peaks that presumably were at least partly reflexive responses to pressure from the belt. The flexor, IP, also showed multiple peaks in its long main burst and other activity whose presence varied from cat to cat. It was concluded that the independence of control for many EMG components during locomotion requires a behavioral analysis of reflexes and conditioned responses to determine the origin of each kind of activity.