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Two-Level Model of Mammalian Locomotor CPG

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Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience

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Definition

Locomotor central pattern generator (CPG) in vertebrates is a neural network located in the spinal cord and capable of generating rhythmic neural activities enabling animal’s movements in the environment. The locomotor CPG produces the coordinated rhythmic activities of motoneurons driving contractions of the corresponding muscles resulting in the coordinated limb movements underlying locomotion. The two-level architecture of the mammalian locomotor CPG has been proposed from analysis of spontaneous deletions (errors in rhythmic motoneuron activity) and effects of afferent stimulations during fictive locomotor activity evoked in the decerebrate, immobilized cat preparation by continuous brainstem stimulation. The model suggests that the locomotor CPG contains a separate half-center rhythm generator (RG) and a pattern formation network (PF) controlled by the RG and defining the coordinated rhythmic pattern of motoneuron activity. The two-level model of the locomotor CPG...

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Abbreviations

AB:

Anterior biceps

EDL:

Extensor digitorum longus

GS:

Combined LGS and MG

LG:

Lateral gastrocnemius

LGS:

LG combined with soleus

MG:

Medial gastrocnemius

PerL:

Peroneus longus

Plant:

Plantaris

Psoas:

Iliopsoas

Quad:

Quadriceps

Sart:

Sartorius

Sm:

Semimembranosus

SmAB:

Semimembranosus combined with anterior biceps

TA:

Tibialis anterior

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, 19129, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Dr. Natalia A. Shevtsova

Authors
  1. Dr. Natalia A. Shevtsova
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Correspondence to Natalia A. Shevtsova .

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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Shevtsova, N.A. (2013). Two-Level Model of Mammalian Locomotor CPG. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_49-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_49-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7320-6

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