title: Chapter 16--spinal plasticity in the recovery of locomotion.
abstract: Locomotion is a very robust motor pattern which can be optimized after different types of lesions to the central and/or peripheral nervous system. This implies that several plastic mechanisms are at play to re-express locomotion after such lesions. Here, we review some of the key observations that helped identify some of these plastic mechanisms. At the core of this plasticity is the existence of a spinal central pattern generator (CPG) which is responsible for hindlimb locomotion as observed after a complete spinal cord section. However, normally, the CPG pattern is adapted by sensory inputs to take the environment into account and by supraspinal inputs in the context of goal-directed locomotion. We therefore also review some of the sensory and supraspinal mechanisms involved in the recovery of locomotion after partial spinal injury. We particularly stress a recent development using a dual spinal lesion paradigm in which a first partial spinal lesion is made which is then followed, some weeks later, by a complete spinalization. The results show that the spinal cord below the spinalization has been changed by the initial partial lesion suggesting that, in the recovery of locomotion after partial spinal lesion, plastic mechanisms within the spinal cord itself are very important.
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossignol
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frigon
authors.forename: Grégory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barrière
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barthélemy
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bouyer
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bélanger
authors.forename: Janyne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Provencher
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brustein
authors.forename: Hugues
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barbeau
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giroux
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marcoux
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Langlet
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alluin
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents