Development of Interlimb Coordination in the Neonatal Rat

Clarac, François; Pearlstein, Édouard; Pflieger, Jean‐François; Vinay, Laurent

doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-9056-3_2

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 43 publications

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“…The newborn rodents do not walk, but locomotor networks in the spinal cord can already at birth produce left-right and flexor-extensor alternation together with precise interlimb coordination 29 like in adult walking animals 37 . Moreover, neonatal rodents can generate physical stepping movement 101 as well as air-stepping movement 102 . The reticulospinal neurons also develop before birth and establish functional connections in the spinal cord in the neonate 103 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deconstructing the modular organization and real-time dynamics of mammalian spinal locomotor networks

2023

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Locomotion empowers animals to move. Locomotor-initiating signals from the brain are funneled through descending neurons in the brainstem that act directly on spinal locomotor circuits. Little is known in mammals about which spinal circuits are targeted by the command and how this command is transformed into rhythmicity in the cord. Here we address these questions leveraging a mouse brainstem-spinal cord preparation from either sex that allows locating the locomotor command neurons with simultaneous Ca2+ imaging of spinal neurons. We show that a restricted brainstem area – encompassing the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus (LPGi) and caudal ventrolateral reticular nucleus (CVL) – contains glutamatergic neurons which directly initiate locomotion. Ca2+ imaging captures the direct LPGi/CVL locomotor initiating command in the spinal cord and visualizes spinal glutamatergic modules that execute the descending command and its transformation into rhythmic locomotor activity. Inhibitory spinal networks are recruited in a distinctly different pattern. Our study uncovers the principal logic of how spinal circuits implement the locomotor command using a distinct modular organization.

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