TY - JOUR
T1 - Peeling back the layers of locomotor control in the spinal cord
AU - McLean, David L.
AU - Dougherty, Kimberly J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Abdel El Manira, Simon Giszter and Ilya Rybak for discussions and comments on the manuscript. DLM is supported by a National Institutes of Health R01 award ( NS067299 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - Vertebrate locomotion is executed by networks of neurons within the spinal cord. Here, we describe recent advances in our understanding of spinal locomotor control provided by work using optical and genetic approaches in mice and zebrafish. In particular, we highlight common observations that demonstrate simplification of limb and axial motor pool coordination by spinal network modularity, differences in the deployment of spinal modules at increasing speeds of locomotion, and functional hierarchies in the regulation of locomotor rhythm and pattern. We also discuss the promise of intersectional genetic strategies for better resolution of network components and connectivity, which should help us continue to close the gap between theory and function.
AB - Vertebrate locomotion is executed by networks of neurons within the spinal cord. Here, we describe recent advances in our understanding of spinal locomotor control provided by work using optical and genetic approaches in mice and zebrafish. In particular, we highlight common observations that demonstrate simplification of limb and axial motor pool coordination by spinal network modularity, differences in the deployment of spinal modules at increasing speeds of locomotion, and functional hierarchies in the regulation of locomotor rhythm and pattern. We also discuss the promise of intersectional genetic strategies for better resolution of network components and connectivity, which should help us continue to close the gap between theory and function.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.conb.2015.03.001
DO - 10.1016/j.conb.2015.03.001
M3 - Review article
C2 - 25820136
AN - SCOPUS:84925665187
SN - 0959-4388
VL - 33
SP - 63
EP - 70
JO - Current Opinion in Neurobiology
JF - Current Opinion in Neurobiology
ER -