Reverse Engineering Motor Unit Discharge

The long-term objective of the present application is to determine the relation between the firing patterns of multiple motor units and the pattern of ionotropic and metabotropic input to the pool of motoneurons innervating a single muscle. The proposed experiments will use the decerebrate cat preparation, which allows both extracellular recording of motor unit activity during a variety of motor behaviors and intracellular voltage-clamp recording of synaptic current. My laboratory has over 20 years of experience with this preparation. Under my supervision and through my direct participation, my laboratory will generate the data and contribute to the analysis and interpretation of the results. We have expertise that is unique among the resources gathered in the grant application, and our contribution provides a key piece in the proposed strategy of advancing our understanding the physiological control of motor unit firing rate.