Multistable coordination of feeding motor rhythms in semi-intact preparation ofLymnaea stagnalis

Abstract

It is well known that most rhythm-generating neuronal ensembles are multifunctional and can generate different motor rhythms in different contexts. This implies that coordination of multifunctional networks must also be flexible or multistable. Coordination of radula movements and gut contractions was studied in semi-intact preparations of L. stagnalis using video registration and an event recorder. Several context-dependent stable variants of radula-gut coordination were detected. Our data suggest that this preparation is a promising model for studying mechanisms of multistable motor rhythm coordination.