title: Muscle spindle and fusimotor activity in locomotion.
abstract: Mammals may exhibit different forms of locomotion even within a species. A particular form of locomotion (e.g. walk, run, bound) appears to be selected by supraspinal commands, but the precise pattern, i.e. phasing of limbs and muscles, is generated within the spinal cord by so-called central pattern generators. Peripheral sense organs, particularly the muscle spindle, play a crucial role in modulating the central pattern generator output. In turn, the feedback from muscle spindles is itself modulated by static and dynamic fusimotor (gamma) neurons. The activity of muscle spindle afferents and fusimotor neurons during locomotion in the cat is reviewed here. There is evidence for some alpha-gamma co-activation during locomotion involving static gamma motoneurons. However, both static and dynamic gamma motoneurons show patterns of modulation that are distinct from alpha motoneuron activity. It has been proposed that static gamma activity may drive muscle spindle secondary endings to signal the intended movement to the central nervous system. Dynamic gamma motoneuron drive appears to prime muscle spindle primary endings to signal transitions in phase of the locomotor cycle. These findings come largely from reduced animal preparations (decerebrate) and require confirmation in freely moving intact animals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Ellaway
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK.|Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Rade
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Durbaba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D003655:Decerebrate State; D004576:Electromyography; D056228:Feedback, Sensory / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D009047:Motor Neurons, Gamma / Q000502:physiology*; D009470:Muscle Spindles / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology
keywords: fusimotor neuron; gamma motoneuron; intrafusal muscle fibre; locomotion; muscle spindle