Interlimb coordination in cat locomotion investigated with perturbation

Summary

The effects of mechanical stimulation (tap) on single unit activity of Deiter's neurons were analysed in walking cats decerebrated at the premammillary level. Deiters' neurons projecting to the ipsilateral cervical, but not to the lumbosacral, spinal cord (C-Deiters' neurons) were identified by antidromic activation, cerebellar stimulation, and localization of the neurons. During each unperturbed cycle of quadrupedal locomotion, most C-Deiters' neurons showed two frequency modulation peaks in their impulse discharges: one (A peak) in the late swing (E₁) or the early stance (E₂) phase, the other (B peak) in the late stance (E₃) or the early swing (F) phase, of the ipsilateral forelimb. The A peak started to rise shortly before the ipsilateral forelimb was placed.

When mechanical perturbation was applied during locomotion to the paw dorsum of the left forelimb (LF) in its stance phase, the ongoing LF stance phase shortened and the simultaneous swing phase of the right forelimb (RF) shortened. Accordingly, in the RF, extensor activity in the swing phase to place down the limb occurred earlier than in unperturbed step cycles. The same LF tap induced a marked enhancement of impulse discharges in C-Deiters' neurons on the right side (with a magnitude of 20–100 imp/s, and the shortest latency of 25 ms). This enhancement was more pronounced than that induced when the perturbation was applied to the LF during its swing phase. The latency manifested a close time relation to the RF extensor activity supporting the postulate that the increased C-Deiters' activity in the RF swing phase contributes to the earlier onset of RF extensor activity which plays an important role in maintaining alternating footfalls after perturbation.