Abstract
Hindlimb stepping on a stationary surface was evoked by tonic electrical stimulation of the dorso-lateral part of the mesencephalic locomotor region. Such a stepping movement (still-stepping) was characterized by alternating limb loading between the left and right hindlimbs, while the animal maintained a standing posture. Under such conditions, a slight increase in the stimulus intensity produced synchronized still-stepping between the hindlimbs. At that time, respiratory activity, evaluated by recording the diaphragmatic EMG, showed marked changes and was strongly correlated with the stepping frequency. Cross-correlograms between the diaphragmatic and gastrocnemius activities disclosed that locomotor-respiratory coupling increased in strength when the mode still-stepping changed from the alternating to the synchronized stepping between the hindlimbs.
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