Phasic modulation of trunk muscle efferents during fictive spinal locomotion in cats

Abstract

In high spinal paralysed cats electromyograms were recorded from nerves supplying lumbar back muscles (longissimus dorsi) and abdominal muscles (obliquus abdominis externus) during fictive locomotion induced by I.V. injection of nialamide and L-DOPA. Activity in nerves to hind-limb muscles was also recorded. During periods of stable 'locomotor' activity in the hind-limb nerves the efferents to the back and abdominal trunk muscles were generally also rhythmically active. Three different patterns of activity were observed. The predominant rhythmic pattern showed a synchronous activation of the efferents to the back and abdominal muscles of one side together with an activation of the hind-limb flexors of that side, alternating with activation of the efferents to the corresponding contralateral muscles. This pattern was very stable and could last for about 3 h. Such a pattern of activity would be expected during the alternate stepping characteristic of walking and trotting. The second type of rhythmic locomotor activity was characterized by a synchronous bilateral activation of the efferents to the back muscles, alternating with activation of the abdominal muscles on both sides. This pattern occurred only for short periods and appears to correspond to the activity during in-phase stepping such as occurs during a gallop. Beside these well co-ordinated patterns less well co-ordinated rhythmic activities were also observed. These included regular rhythmic activity which occurred independently in different muscle groups as well as irregular rhythmic activity with unstable phase relations between different muscle groups. The rhythmic locomotor activity in efferents to trunk and limb muscles could be modulated by afferent nerve stimulation and by hypoxia. The results reveal that the spinal cord deprived of its supraspinal and peripheral control may generate a variety of different locomotor patterns, which incorporate the trunk muscles in an apparently meaningful way.