Plasticity of locomotor sensorimotor interactions after peripheral and/or spinal lesions.
The present paper reviews aspects of locomotor sensorimotor interactions by focussing on work performed in spinal cats. We provide a brief overview of spinal locomotion and describe the effects of various types of sensory deprivations (e.g. rhizotomies, and lesions of muscle and cutaneous nerves) to highlight the spinal neuroplasticity necessary for adapting to sensory loss. Recent work on plastic interactions between reflex pathways that could be responsible for such plasticity, in particular changes in proprioceptive and cutaneous pathways that occur during locomotor training of spinal cats, is discussed. Finally, we describe how stimulation of some sensory inputs via various limb manipulations or intraspinal electrical stimulation can affect the expression of spinal locomotion. We conclude that sensory inputs are critical not only for locomotion but also that changes in the efficacy of sensory transmission and in the interactions between sensory pathways could participate in the normalization of locomotion after spinal and/or peripheral lesions.
Rossignol
Serge
S
Group and Centre for Research in Neurological Sciences, Multidisciplinary team in Locomotor Rehabilitation (CIHR), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3J7. Serge.Rossignol@umontreal.ca
Barrière
Grégory
G
Frigon
Alain
A
Barthélemy
Dorothy
D
Bouyer
Laurent
L
Provencher
Janyne
J
Leblond
Hugues
H
Bernard
Geneviève
G
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003655:Decerebrate State / Q000503:physiopathology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*