Summary
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1.
A study was made of the neuronal connectivity which produces cyclical abdominal flexion and extension in crayfish during backwards terrestrial walking.
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2.
On the basis of known coupling, intracellular recording and stimulation, and antidromic stimulation, it is concluded that motor neuron properties alone cannot be responsible for the observed output pattern.
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3.
The properties of a network of intersegmental interneurons isolated in area 85 of the connective are analyzed, and it is concluded that this network is responsible for driving the motor neurons to produce the cyclical pattern described.
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A model based upon demonstrated connections among the driving neurons and between these neurons and the motor neurons is proposed which accounts for the observed behavior.
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I would like to thank Dr. Donald Kennedy for his continued advice and support during this work, and for his critical reading of the manuscript, and Drs. Donald Perkel and Jeffery Wine for their comments on the manuscript. The research was supported by an NSF Predoctoral Grant to the author and NIH grant NS02944-13 to Dr. Donald Kennedy.
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Kovac, M. Abdominal movements during backward walking in crayfish. J. Comp. Physiol. 95, 79–94 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00624352
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00624352