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Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience pp 1–15Cite as

Locomotor Pattern Generation in the Rodent Spinal Cord

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Synonyms

CPG; Locomotor central pattern generator; Spinal locomotor network

Definition

The locomotor central pattern generator is a neural network in the spinal cord that can generate the basic motor pattern for locomotion in the absence of sensory feedback or rhythmic input from the brain. Most research in rodents has focused on hind limb movements: the hind limb CPG is located in lower thoracic and lumbar segments of the spinal cord. This network generates both the locomotor rhythm (cycle frequency) and the detailed phasing of motoneuron activation during the cycle, including alternation of left and right limb movements and alternation of ipsilateral flexor and extensor activity.

Detailed Description

A central pattern generator (CPG) is a limited neural network that can produce an organized rhythmic motor output in the absence of sensory or descending inputs from other parts of the nervous system (Marder and Calabrese 1996). CPGs drive behaviors such as locomotion, respiration,...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Prof. Ronald Harris-Warrick

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  1. Prof. Ronald Harris-Warrick
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ronald Harris-Warrick .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Dieter Jaeger

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA

    Ranu Jung

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Harris-Warrick, R. (2013). Locomotor Pattern Generation in the Rodent Spinal Cord. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_48-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_48-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7320-6

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