Overground Locomotion Research Articles

Disruption of fore- and hindlimb coordination during overground locomotion in cats with bilateral serial hemisection of the spinal cord

In order to investigate if inter-limb propriospinal reflexes participate in coordination of locomotive movements of fore- and hindlimbs, we examined the relations between fore- and hindlimbs during overground locomotion of adult cats with spinal cord lesions. In a group of cats (T-T preparations), the spinal cord was hemisected first at around Th 12 and then at intervals of 37–126 days contralaterally at midthoracic level, propriospinal tracts being mostly severed in this group. In a second group of cats (C-T preparations), which received hemisections first at around C 2 and then at intervals of 21–73 days at mid-thoracic level, propriospinal tracts were left intact at least on one side of the spinal cord. Control observations were also made in intact cats and those with single hemisections at C 2 or Th 12, or with double unilateral hemisections at Th 6 and Th 12. Thus, it was found that in both T-T and C-T preparations, step length of the forelimbs was shortened significantly, whereas that of the hindlimbs was significantly lengthened. Furthermore, phase relations between the fore- and hindlimbs were completely lost in these preparations, suggesting that the stepping generator for the forelimbs operates independently of that for the hindlimbs. In other single-hemisected or unilaterally double-hemisected preparations, by contrast, no such changes were observed. The close similarity of the results in T-T and C-T preparations, in spite of different degrees of impairment of propriospinal tracts in them, leads to a conclusion that inter-limb propriospinal reflexes play little role in coordination of locomotive movements of fore- and hindlimbs.

Recovery of locomotor function in cats after localized cerebellar lesions

Cats were trained to walk on a motorized treadmill, at speeds up to a brisk walk, for food reward. A cerebellar lesion was placed in each animal, either unilateral removal of paravermal cortex, or unilateral coagulation of n. interpositus, or bilateral coagulation of the fastigial nuclei. The effects of these lesions upon locomotor activity were measured by conventional kinematic methods, and were found to be generally in agreement with prior observations. Also in agreement with prior work was the fact that these initial deficits disappeared in a relatively short time. The kinematic data suggest that this recovery of function was genuine in the sense that compensatory alterations in limb motion could not be demonstrated. In disagreement with prior studies, we failed to elicit decompensation (e.g. reinstatement of the original deficits) by subsequent pyramidal tract sections, or ablation of the ‘motor’ cortex. We conclude that the corticospinal system is probably not essential to the recovery observed, and also that perhaps there are substantial differences in the mechanisms of recovery of ‘spontaneous’ overground locomotion, compared to walking on a treadmill as a conditioned instrumental response.

Cerebellar control of locomotion: effects of cooling cerebellar intermediate cortex in high decerebrate and awake walking cats.

Cerebellar control of locomotion: effects of cooling cerebellar intermediate cortex in high decerebrate and awake walking cats.M Udo, K Matsukawa, H Kamei, and Y OdaM Udo, K Matsukawa, H Kamei, and Y OdaPublished Online:01 Jul 1980https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1980.44.1.119MoreSectionsPDF (2 MB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat Previous Back to Top Next Download PDF FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Cited ByCurrent Principles of Motor Control, with Special Reference to Vertebrate LocomotionSten Grillner and Abdeljabbar El Manira18 November 2019 | Physiological Reviews, Vol. 100, No. 1Improvement of cerebellar ataxic gait by injecting Cbln1 into the cerebellum of cbln1-null mice18 April 2018 | Scientific Reports, Vol. 8, No. 1Abnormal locomotor muscle recruitment activity is present in horses with shivering and Purkinje cell distal axonopathy12 February 2018 | Equine Veterinary Journal, Vol. 50, No. 5Lesion in the lateral cerebellum specifically produces overshooting of the toe trajectory in leading forelimb during obstacle avoidance in the ratSho Aoki, Yamato Sato, and Dai Yanagihara1 October 2013 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 110, No. 7Critical Points in the Forelimb Fictive Locomotor Cycle and Motor Coordination: Evidence From the Effects of Tonic Proprioceptive Perturbations in the CatPhilippe Saltiel, and Serge Rossignol1 September 2004 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 92, No. 3Cerebellar Control of Balance and Locomotion29 June 2016 | The Neuroscientist, Vol. 10, No. 3Role of the cerebellum in the control and adaptation of gait in health and diseaseDischarge Characteristics of Neurons in the Red Nucleus During Voluntary Gait Modifications: A Comparison with the Motor CortexSylvain Lavoie, and Trevor Drew1 October 2002 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 88, No. 4Selection and Coordination of Human Locomotor Forms Following Cerebellar DamageGammon M. Earhart, and Amy J. Bastian1 February 2001 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 85, No. 2Augmented renal sympathetic nerve activity by central command during overground locomotion in decerebrate catsKanji Matsukawa, Jun Murata, and Tetsuya Wada1 October 1998 | American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol. 275, No. 4Cardiovascular responses during spontaneous overground locomotion in freely moving decerebrate catsTomoko Sadamoto, and Kanji Matsukawa1 November 1997 | Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 83, No. 5A memorial address to the late Masao UdoNeuroscience Research, Vol. 17, No. 2Hemicerebellectomy and motor behaviour in rats. III. Kinematics of recovered spontaneous locomotion after lesions at different developmental stagesBehavioural Brain Research, Vol. 54, No. 1A computational model of four regions of the cerebellum based on feedback-error learningBiological Cybernetics, Vol. 68, No. 2Adaptive feedback control models of the vestibulocerebellum and spinocerebellumBiological Cybernetics, Vol. 68, No. 2Motor recovery after cross-reinnervation of a forelimb nerve by the phrenic nerve in catsBrain Research, Vol. 492, No. 1-2Simple spike discharge patterns of Purkinje cells in the paramedian lobule of the cerebellum during locomotion in the awake catNeuroscience Letters, Vol. 102, No. 2-3Alterations in simple spike activity and locomotor behavior associated with climbing fiber input to Purkinje cells in a decerebrate walking catNeuroscience, Vol. 25, No. 2Activity of rubrospinal neurons during locomotion and scratching in the catBehavioural Brain Research, Vol. 28, No. 1-2Integration of posture and locomotion in acute decerebrate cats and in awake, freely moving catsProgress in Neurobiology, Vol. 28, No. 2Effect of cooling of the culmen of the cerebellar vermis on chemically induced stepping in guinea pigsNeuroscience Letters, Vol. 73, No. 1Supraspinal contributions to the initiation and control of locomotion in the catProgress in Neurobiology, Vol. 26, No. 4Responses of cerebellar Purkinje cells to mechanical perturbations during locomotion of decrebrate catsNeuroscience Research, Vol. 2, No. 5Recovery of locomotor function in cats after localized cerebellar lesionsBrain Research, Vol. 273, No. 1Interlimb coordination in cat locomotion investigated with perturbation3 September 2013 | Experimental Brain Research, Vol. 46, No. 3Interlimb coordination in cat locomotion investigated with perturbation3 September 2013 | Experimental Brain Research, Vol. 46, No. 3Model of four regions of the cerebellum More from this issue > Volume 44Issue 1July 1980Pages 119-34 https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1980.44.1.119PubMed7420131History Published online 1 July 1980 Published in print 1 July 1980 Metrics

Some fundamental aspects of the biomechanics of overground versus treadmill locomotion

The literature shows a wide difference of opinion about the mechanical equality of, or difference between treadmill and overground locomotion. This difference in opinion is often related to the coordinate system which implicitly or explicitly is used. With help of a few theoretical examples of energy calculations this paper shows that the description of treadmill locomotion with respect to a fixed coordinate system can lead to faulty conclusions. It is concluded that as long as the beltspeed is constant a coordinate system should be used which moves with the belt. In such a system no mechanical difference exists in comparison with overground locomotion with respect to a fixed coordinate system. All differences found in locomotion patterns must therefore originate from other than mechanical causes.

Ipsilateral limb variation in cats during overground locomotion.

The timing interval between the onset of knee extensor EMG (vastus lateralis) and the onset of the ipsilateral elbow flexor EMG (brachialis) was studied in adult cats during overground walking, trotting and galloping. Concurrent finding of the animals in locomotion was used to relate the electrical activity of the muscles to the physical events in a step cycle. The observed variability in the interval between the onset of knee extensor EMG and the onset of elbow flexor EMG lead to the conclusion that it is not appropriate to postulate a rigid neural coupling mechanism for the control and coordination of ipsilateral limbs in locomotion.

Locomotor recovery after unilateral hindlimb deafferentation in cats

After hindlimb deafferentation, recovery of locomotor patterns may be distinguished from recovery of accurate movements. Cats were timed while crossing wide runways requiring that locomotion be present, and narrow runways which require that it also be accurate. Locomotion recovers soon after deafferentation and becomes almost normal in speed, although accuracy is still absent. This accuracy returns 10 days postoperatively. Ventral root afferents with cell bodies in dorsal root ganglia are unnecessary for recovery. Postural reflexes (and other non-topographic feedback) are used as cues for limb guidance after removal of that limb's topographic feedback. Anatomical experiments show that a thoratic root sprouts during the recovery period. This sprouting may increase the potency of postural reflexes. Although lower thoracic roots contribute to recovery, they are not essential. Ipsilateral descending systems are essential, and represent the final common path for all recovery after deafferenting a hindlimb. Contralateral descending and afferent systems alone cannot mediate overground locomotion. Thus there is a difference between the systems which mediate overground locomotion and those used by animals in treadmill locomotion or with l-DOPA or clonidine or brain stem stimulation. The proposed mechanism underlying recovery of accurate locomotion is behavioral substitution which may be facilitated by collateral sprouting of relevant systems.

The mammalian red nucleus.

The mammalian red nucleus.