Abstract
The cat can recover a robust pattern of hindlimb locomotion following partial or complete spinal cord injuries. As a result, it has been instrumental in our understanding of spinal networks controlling and regulating locomotor activity. Thanks to our feline friend, spinal cord-injured humans are now trained on a treadmill to promote the recovery of walking. This chapter highlights some of the landmark studies using the cat that have led to a better understanding of the adaptive changes that take place after spinal cord injury, as well as the underlying mechanisms governing locomotor control and recovery.
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Abbreviations
- Central pattern generator (CPG):
-
Neuronal network that produces rhythmic activity without extraneous inputs
- Pattern generator (PG):
-
Neuronal network that produces rhythmic activity with tonic and/or phasic sensory inputs
- Spinal cat:
-
A cat with a complete spinal cord injury
- Spinalization:
-
A transection or complete spinal cord injury
- Spinal locomotion:
-
Hindlimb walking after complete spinal cord injury
- AP-5:
-
2-Amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid
- CPG:
-
Central pattern generator
- EMG:
-
Electromyography
- ENG:
-
Electroneurography
- 5-HT:
-
Serotonin
- GABA:
-
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
- L:
-
Lumbar
- LG:
-
Lateral gastrocnemius
- NA:
-
Noradrenaline
- NMDA:
-
N-methyl-d-aspartate
- PG:
-
Pattern generator
- PICs:
-
Persistent inward currents
- SCI:
-
Spinal cord injury
- Srt:
-
Sartorius
- St:
-
Semitendinosus
- T:
-
Thoracic
- TA:
-
Tibialis anterior
- VL:
-
Vastus lateralis
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Frigon, A. (2013). The Cat Model of Spinal Cord Injury. In: Aldskogius, H. (eds) Animal Models of Spinal Cord Repair. Neuromethods, vol 76. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-197-4_8
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