Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Anatomical correlates of return of locomotor function after partial spinal cord lesions in cats

  • Published:
Experimental Brain Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We trained cats to walk on a moving treadmill belt, then subjected them to partial transverse sections of the thoracic spinal cord. Afterwards, we observed their ability to walk on the treadmill, over a period of several weeks, using gait analysis techniques to describe the resultant deficits. The extent of the lesions was verified histologically, and the identity of the spared descending axons from the brain stem was demonstrated by retrograde labeling with horseradish peroxidase.

We found that significant sparing or recovery of hindlimb locomotor function is closely linked to sparing of axons in at least one ventrolateral quadrant of the cord. The essential elements probably belong to vestibulospinal and reticulospinal systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Afelt A (1970) Reflex activity in chronic spinal cats. Acta Neurobiol Exp 30: 129–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Afelt A (1974) Functional significance of ventral descending tracts of the spinal cord in the cat. Acta Neurobiol Exp 34: 393–407

    Google Scholar 

  • Basbaum AI, Fields HL (1979) The origin of descending pathways in the dorsolateral funiculus in the spinal cord of the cat and rat. Further studies on the anatomy of pain modulation. J Comp Neurol 187: 513–532

    Google Scholar 

  • Blessing WW, Chalmers JP (1979) Direct projection of catecholamine (presumably dopamine) containing neurones from hypothalamus to spinal cord. Neurosci Lett 11: 35–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Bobillier P, Seguin S, Petitjean F, Salvert D, Touret M, Jouvet M (1976) The raphé nuclei of the cat brain stem. A topographical atlas of their efferent projections as revealed by auto-radiography. Brain Res 113: 449–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown TG (1911) The intrinsic factors in the act of progression in the mammal. Proc R Soc Lond [Biol] 84: 308–319

    Google Scholar 

  • Coss L, Chan AK, Goslow GE, Jr, Rasmussen S (1978) Ipsilateral limb variation in cats during overground locomotion. Brain Behav Evol 15: 85–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Dart AM (1971) Cells of the dorsal column nuclei projecting down into the spinal cord. J Physiol (Lond) 219: 29P-30P

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards SB (1975) Autoradiographic studies of the projections of the midbrain reticular formation. Descending projections of Nucleus cuneiformis. J Comp Neurol 161: 341–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Eidelberg E (in press) Locomotor control in macaque monkeys. Proceedings of the 28th International Congress on Physiological Sciences, Budapest 1980

  • Eidelberg E, Davis F (1977) An improved electronic pantograph. J Histochem Cytochem 25: 1016–1018

    Google Scholar 

  • Eidelberg E, Straehley D, Erspamer R, Watkins JC (1977) Relationship between residual hindlimb-assisted locomotion and surviving axons after incomplete spinal cord injuries. Exp Neurol 56: 312–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Eidelberg E, Story JL, Meyer BL, Nystel J (1980) Stepping by chronic spinal cats. Exp Brain Res 40: 241–246

    Google Scholar 

  • English AW (1979) Interlimb coordination during stepping in the cat: An electromyographic analysis. J Neurophysiol 42: 229–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Erulkar SD, Sprague JM, Whitsel BL, Dogan S, Janetta PJ (1966) Organization of the vestibular projection to the spinal cord of the cat. J Neurophysiol 29: 626–664

    Google Scholar 

  • Forssberg H, Grillner S, Halbertsma J (1980a) The locomotion of the low spinal cat. I. Coordination within a hindlimb. Acta Physiol Scand 108: 269–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Forssberg H, Grillner S, Halbertsma J, Rossignol S (1980b) The locomotion of the low spinal cat, II: Interlimb coordination. Acta Physiol Scand 108: 283–295

    Google Scholar 

  • Freusberg A (1874) Reflexbewegungen beim Hunde. Pfluegers Arch 9: 358–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Grillner S (1973) Locomotion in the spinal cat. In: Stein RB et al. (eds) Control of posture and locomotion. Plenum Press, New York, pp 515–535

    Google Scholar 

  • Grillner S, Zangger P (1979) On the central generation of locomotion in the low spinal cat. Exp Brain Res 34: 241–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman RG (1958) Effects of stimulation of nonspecific thalamic system on locomotor movements in cat. J Neurophysiol 21: 85–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart BL (1971) Facilitation by strychnine of reflex walking in spinal dogs. Physiol Behav 6: 627–628

    Google Scholar 

  • Hildebrand M (1959) Motions of the running cheetah and horse. J Mammal 40: 481–495

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinsey JC, Ranson SW, McNattin RF (1930) The role of the hypothalamus and mesencephalon in locomotion. Arch Neurol Psychiatr 23: 1–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingram WR, Ranson SW (1932) Effects of lesions in the red nuclei in cats. Arch Neurol Psychiat 28: 483–512

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuypers HGJM, Maisky VA (1975) Retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase from spinal cord to brain stem groups in the cat. Neurosci Lett 1: 9–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuypers HGJM, Maisky VA (1977) Funicular trajections of descending brain stem pathways in the cat. Brain Res 136: 159–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Laughton NB (1924) Studies on the nervous regulation of progression in mammals. Am J Physiol 70: 358–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin HF, Jordan LM, Willis WD (1978) Differential projections of cat medullary raphe neurones demonstrated by retrograde labeling following spinal cord lesions. J Comp Neurol 182: 77–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Mesulam MM (1978) Tetramethylbenzidine for horseradish peroxidase neurohistochemistry. J Histochem Cytochem 26: 107–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Molenaar I, Kuypers HGJM (1978) Cells of origin of propriospinal fibers and of fibers ascending to supraspinal levels. A HRP study in cat and Rhesus monkey. Brain Res 152: 429–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan WW, Huffman RD (1980) Effect of catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurotoxins on locomotor responses in cat. Anat Record 196: 129–130A

    Google Scholar 

  • Mori S, Nishimura H, Kurakami C, Yamaura T, Aoki M (1978) Controlled locomotion in the mesencephalic cat: Distribution of facilitatory and inhibitory regions within pontine tegmentum. J Neurophysiol 41: 1580–1591

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyberg-Hansen R (1966) Functional organization of descending fiber systems to the spinal cord. Anatomical observations and physiological correlations. Ergebn Anat Entwicklungsgesch 39: 6–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Orlovsky GN (1970) Work of the reticulo-spinal neurones during locomotion. [English transl] Biophysics (USSR) 15: 761–771

    Google Scholar 

  • Orlovsky GN (1972) The effect of different descending systems on flexor and extensor activity during locomotion. Brain Res 40: 359–371

    Google Scholar 

  • Orlovsky GN, Shik ML (1976) Control of locomotion. A neurophysiological analysis of the cat locomotor system. In: Porter R (ed) International Review of Physiology. Neurophysiology II, vol 10. University Park Press, Baltimore, pp 281–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell DF, Zajac FE (1979) Effects of stimulating Deiters' nucleus and medial longitudinal fasciculus on the timing of the fictive locomotor rhythm induced in cats by DOPA. Brain Res 177: 588–592

    Google Scholar 

  • Saper CB, Loewy AD, Swanson LW, Cowan WM (1976) Direct hypothalamo-autonomic connections. Brain Res 117: 305–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider RC (1955) The syndrome of acute anterior spinal cord injury. J Neurosurg 1295: 110

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider RC, Crosby EC, Russo RH, Gosch HH (1973) Traumatic spinal cord syndromes and their management. Clin Neurosurg 20: 424–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapovalov AI (1975) Neuronal organization and synaptic mechanisms of supraspinal motor control in Vertebrates. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 72: 1–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Shik ML, Severin FV, Orlovsky GN (1967) Structures of the brain stem responsible for evoked locomotion. Sechenov Physiol J (USSR) 53: 1125–1132

    Google Scholar 

  • Shurrager PS, Dykman RA (1951) Walking spinal carnivores. J Comp Physiol Psych 44: 252–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel JM, McGinty DJ (1977) Pontine reticular formation neurones. Relationship of discharge to motor activity. Science 196: 678–680

    Google Scholar 

  • Skinner RD, Remmel RS (1978) Monosynaptic inputs to lumbar interneurones from the lateral vestibulospinal tract and the medial longitudinal fasciculus. Neurosci Lett 10: 259–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Snedecor GW, Cochran WG (1967) Statistical methods, 6th edn. Iowa University Press, Iowa City, pp 172–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Steeves JD, Jordan LM (1980) Localization of a descending pathway in the spinal cord which is necessary for controlled treadmill locomotion. Neurosci Lett (in press)

  • Steeves JD, Jordan LM, Lake M (1975) The close proximity of calecholamine-containing cells to the “mesencephalic locomotor region” (MLR). Brain Res 100: 663–670

    Google Scholar 

  • Suwanwela C, Alexander E, Davis CH (1962) Prognosis in spinal cord injury, with special reference to patients with motor paralysis and sensory preservation. J Neurosurg 19: 220–231

    Google Scholar 

  • Taber E (1961) The cytoarchitecture of the brain stem of the cat. I. Brain stem nuclei of the cat. J Comp Neurol 116: 27–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Tohyama M, Sakai K, Salvert D, Touret M, Jouvet M (1979) Spinal projections from the lower brain stem in the cat as demonstrated by the horseradish peroxidase technique. I. Origin of the reticulospinal tracts and their funiculi trajectories. Brain Res 173: 383–403

    Google Scholar 

  • Viala D, Buser P (1971) Modalités d'obtention des rhythmes locomoteurs chez le lapin spinal par tratements pharmacologiques (DOPA, 5-HTP, d-amphetamine). Brain Res 35: 151–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Vlahovitch B, Fuentes JM, Choucair Y, Verger AC (1977) Valeur pronostique indissociable des fonctions spinothalamique et corticospinale dans les traumatismes medullaires graves. Neuro-Chirurgie 23: 55–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Waller WH (1940) Progression movements elicited by subthalamic stimulation. J Neurophysiol 3: 300–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson VJ, Yoshida M (1969) Comparison of effects of stimulation of Deiters' nucleus and medial longitudinal fasciculus on neck, forelimb, and hindlimb motoneurones. J Neurophysiol 32: 743–758

    Google Scholar 

  • Windle WF, Smart JO, Beers JJ (1958) Residual function after subtotal spinal cord transection in adult cats. Neurology (Minneap) 8: 518–521

    Google Scholar 

  • Zangger P, Schultz W (1978) The activity of cells of nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis during spontaneous locomotion in the decorticate cat. Neurosci Lett 7: 95–99

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Program, Audie L. Murphy Veterans Administration Hospital, USA

    E. Eidelberg MD, J. L. Story, J. G. Walden & B. L. Meyer

  2. Division of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 78284, San Antonio, TX, USA

    E. Eidelberg MD, J. L. Story, J. G. Walden & B. L. Meyer

Authors
  1. E. Eidelberg MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. L. Story
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. G. Walden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. L. Meyer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Supported in part by grants by the NINCDS (NS-14546) and the Paraplegia Foundation of Arizona

Medical Investigator of the Veterans Administration

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Eidelberg, E., Story, J.L., Walden, J.G. et al. Anatomical correlates of return of locomotor function after partial spinal cord lesions in cats. Exp Brain Res 42, 81–88 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235732

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235732

Key words

Search

Navigation