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Evidence for a spinal central pattern generator in humans

M R Dimitrijevic1, Y Gerasimenko, M M Pinter

  • 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. agoshie@bcm.tmc.edu

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|February 3, 1999
PubMed
Summary
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Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord in paraplegic individuals can restore patterned, locomotor-like leg movements. This suggests the human spinal cord can generate movement independently of brain control.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

  • Complete spinal cord injury often results in loss of voluntary motor control and locomotion.
  • The human spinal cord possesses intrinsic neural circuitry capable of generating rhythmic motor patterns.
  • Brain-derived signals are crucial for modulating and initiating locomotion in able-bodied individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if non-patterned epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) can elicit patterned locomotor activity in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury.
  • To determine if SCS can re-engage spinal locomotor circuits and produce functional leg movements.
  • To assess the potential of SCS to substitute for the brain's descending drive for locomotion.

Main Methods:

  • Participants with complete, long-standing spinal cord injury received epidural electrical stimulation.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Stimulation was applied to the posterior structures of the lumbar spinal cord (L2 segment).
  • Parameters included frequencies of 25-60 Hz and amplitudes of 5-9 V, delivering non-patterned electrical trains.

    • Main Results:

    • Epidural spinal cord stimulation successfully elicited rhythmic, alternating electromyographic (EMG) activity in lower limb muscles.
    • Stimulation induced step-like EMG patterns, indicative of stance and swing phases.
    • This demonstrates the induction of locomotor synergies in paraplegic subjects.

    Conclusions:

    • The human spinal cord retains the capacity for generating locomotor-like activity even without supraspinal (brain) input.
    • Sustained, externally controlled electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can activate these intrinsic circuits.
    • This approach offers a potential therapeutic strategy to restore movement after spinal cord injury by replacing lost brain signals.