Grant: Operating Grant

Locomotor behaviour (i.e. walking, flying, swimming) requires a complex pattern of muscle activation. Neural networks located entirely within the spinal cord are responsible for generating much of the timing and pattern of these locomotor movements. These neural networks are known as central pattern generators (CPGs) and are composed of multiple interneuron cell types. Little is known about the interneuronal components of the locomotor CPGs in walking mammals, primarily because of the difficulty in identifying their intrinsic interneuronal components. Recently, a genetic approach has been successful in identifying distinct populations of genetically similar interneurons in the ventral portion of the spinal cord based on transcription factor expression. Preliminary work on these cells has shown that they comprise essential components of the locomotor CPG. I propose to characterize and assess the function of specific interneuronal populations and determine how they are interconnected within the spinal cord to produce functional locomotor outputs. These studies will mark an essential step in understanding how locomotor CPGs are assembled and function, and will help to devise therapies aimed at enhancing the functional recovery of movement after spinal cord injury.