Influences of sensory input from the limbs on feline corticospinal neurons during postural responses

Effect of spinal cord injury on neural encoding of spontaneous postural perturbations in the hindlimb sensorimotor cortex

Supraspinal signals play a significant role in compensatory responses to postural perturbations. Although the cortex is not necessary for basic postural tasks in intact animals, its role in responding to unexpected postural perturbations after spinal cord injury (SCI) has not been studied. To better understand how SCI impacts cortical encoding of postural perturbations, the activity of single neurons in the hindlimb sensorimotor cortex (HLSMC) was recorded in the rat during unexpected tilts before and after a complete midthoracic spinal transection. In a subset of animals, limb ground reaction forces were also collected. HLSMC activity was strongly modulated in response to different tilt profiles. As the velocity of the tilt increased, more information was conveyed by the HLSMC neurons about the perturbation due to increases in both the number of recruited neurons and the magnitude of their responses. SCI led to attenuated and delayed hindlimb ground reaction forces. However, HLSMC neurons remained responsive to tilts after injury but with increased latencies and decreased tuning to slower tilts. Information conveyed by cortical neurons about the tilts was therefore reduced after SCI, requiring more cells to convey the same amount of information as before the transection. Given that reorganization of the hindlimb sensorimotor cortex in response to therapy after complete midthoracic SCI is necessary for behavioral recovery, this sustained encoding of information after SCI could be a substrate for the reorganization that uses sensory information from above the lesion to control trunk muscles that permit weight-supported stepping and postural control.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The role of cortical circuits in the encoding of posture and balance is of interest for developing therapies for spinal cord injury. This work demonstrated that unexpected postural perturbations are encoded in the hindlimb sensorimotor cortex even in the absence of hindlimb sensory feedback. In fact, the hindlimb sensorimotor cortex continues to encode for postural perturbations after complete spinal transection.

Neural mechanisms of single corrective steps evoked in the standing rabbit

Single steps in different directions are often used for postural corrections. However, our knowledge about the neural mechanisms underlying their generation is scarce. This study was aimed to characterize the corrective steps generated in response to disturbances of the basic body configuration caused by forward, backward or outward displacement of the hindlimb, as well as to reveal location in the CNS of the corrective step generating mechanisms. Video recording of the motor response to translation of the supporting surface under the hindlimb along with contact forces and activity of back and limb muscles was performed in freely standing intact and in fixed postmammillary rabbits. In intact rabbits, displacement of the hindlimb in any direction caused a lateral trunk movement toward the contralateral hindlimb, and then a corrective step in the direction opposite to the initial displacement. The time difference between onsets of these two events varied considerably. The EMG pattern in the supporting hindlimb was similar for all directions of corrective steps. It caused the increase in the limb stiffness. EMG pattern in the stepping limb differed in steps with different directions. In postmammillary rabbits the corrective stepping movements, as well as EMG patterns in both stepping and standing hindlimbs were similar to those observed in intact rabbits. This study demonstrates that the corrective trunk and limb movements are generated by separate mechanisms activated by sensory signals from the deviated limb. The neuronal networks generating postural corrective steps reside in the brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord.

Putative spinal interneurons mediating postural limb reflexes provide a basis for postural control in different planes

The dorsal-side-up trunk orientation in standing quadrupeds is maintained by the postural system driven mainly by somatosensory inputs from the limbs. Postural limb reflexes (PLRs) represent a substantial component of this system. Earlier we described spinal neurons presumably contributing to the generation of PLRs. The first aim of the present study was to reveal trends in the distribution of neurons with different parameters of PLR-related activity across the gray matter of the spinal cord. The second aim was to estimate the contribution of PLR-related neurons with different patterns of convergence of sensory inputs from the limbs to stabilization of body orientation in different planes. For this purpose, the head and vertebral column of the decerebrate rabbit were fixed and the hindlimbs were positioned on a platform. Activity of individual neurons from L5 to L6 was recorded during PLRs evoked by lateral tilts of the platform. In addition, the neurons were tested by tilts of the platform under only the ipsilateral or only the contralateral limb, as well as during in-phase tilts of the platforms under both limbs. We found that, across the spinal gray matter, strength of PLR-related neuronal activity and sensory input from the ipsilateral limb decreased in the dorsoventral direction, while strength of the input from the contralateral limb increased. A near linear summation of tilt-related sensory inputs from different limbs was found. Functional roles were proposed for individual neurons. The obtained data present the first characterization of posture-related spinal neurons, forming a basis for studies of postural networks impaired by injury.

Contribution of supraspinal systems to generation of automatic postural responses

Different species maintain a particular body orientation in space due to activity of the closed-loop postural control system. In this review we discuss the role of neurons of descending pathways in operation of this system as revealed in animal models of differing complexity: lower vertebrate (lamprey) and higher vertebrates (rabbit and cat). In the lamprey and quadruped mammals, the role of spinal and supraspinal mechanisms in the control of posture is different. In the lamprey, the system contains one closed-loop mechanism consisting of supraspino-spinal networks. Reticulospinal (RS) neurons play a key role in generation of postural corrections. Due to vestibular input, any deviation from the stabilized body orientation leads to activation of a specific population of RS neurons. Each of the neurons activates a specific motor synergy. Collectively, these neurons evoke the motor output necessary for the postural correction. In contrast to lampreys, postural corrections in quadrupeds are primarily based not on the vestibular input but on the somatosensory input from limb mechanoreceptors. The system contains two closed-loop mechanisms - spinal and spino-supraspinal networks, which supplement each other. Spinal networks receive somatosensory input from the limb signaling postural perturbations, and generate spinal postural limb reflexes. These reflexes are relatively weak, but in intact animals they are enhanced due to both tonic supraspinal drive and phasic supraspinal commands. Recent studies of these supraspinal influences are considered in this review. A hypothesis suggesting common principles of operation of the postural systems stabilizing body orientation in a particular plane in the lamprey and quadrupeds, that is interaction of antagonistic postural reflexes, is discussed.

Distinct Thalamo-Cortical Controls for Shoulder, Elbow, and Wrist during Locomotion

Recent data from this laboratory on differential controls for the shoulder, elbow, and wrist exerted by the thalamo-cortical network during locomotion is presented, based on experiments involving chronically instrumented cats walking on a flat surface and along a horizontal ladder. The activity of the following three groups of neurons is characterized: (1) neurons of the motor cortex that project to the pyramidal tract (PTNs), (2) neurons of the ventrolateral thalamus (VL), many identified as projecting to the motor cortex (thalamo-cortical neurons, TCs), and (3) neurons of the reticular nucleus of thalamus (RE), which inhibit TCs. Neurons were grouped according to their receptive field into shoulder-, elbow-, and wrist/paw-related categories. During simple locomotion, shoulder-related PTNs were most active in the late stance and early swing, and on the ladder, often increased activity and stride-related modulation while reducing discharge duration. Elbow-related PTNs were most active during late swing/early stance and typically remained similar on the ladder. Wrist-related PTNs were most active during swing, and on the ladder often decreased activity and increased modulation while reducing discharge duration. In the VL, shoulder-related neurons were more active during the transition from swing-to-stance. Elbow-related cells tended to be more active during the transition from stance-to-swing and on the ladder often decreased their activity and increased modulation. Wrist-related neurons were more active throughout the stance phase. In the RE, shoulder-related cells had low discharge rates and depths of modulation and long periods of activity distributed evenly across the cycle. In sharp contrast, wrist/paw-related cells discharged synchronously during the end of stance and swing with short periods of high activity, high modulation, and frequent sleep-type bursting. We conclude that thalamo-cortical network processes information related to different segments of the forelimb differently and exerts distinct controls over the shoulder, elbow, and wrist during locomotion.

Responses of vestibular nucleus neurons to inputs from the hindlimb are enhanced following a bilateral labyrinthectomy

Vestibular nucleus neurons have been shown to respond to stimulation of afferents innervating the limbs. However, a limitation in the potential translation of these findings is that they were obtained from decerebrate or anesthetized animals. The goal of the present study was to determine whether stimulation of hindlimb nerves similarly affects vestibular nucleus neuronal activity in conscious cats, and whether the responsiveness of neurons to the stimuli is altered following a bilateral labyrinthectomy. In labyrinth-intact animals, the firing rate of 24/59 (41%) of the neurons in the caudal vestibular nucleus complex was affected by hindlimb nerve stimulation. Most responses were excitatory; the median response latency was 20 ms, but some units had response latencies as short as 10 ms. In the first week after a bilateral labyrinthectomy, the proportion of vestibular nucleus neurons that responded to hindlimb nerve stimulation increased slightly (to 24/55 or 44% of units). However, during the subsequent postlabyrinthectomy survival period, the proportion of vestibular nucleus neurons with hindlimb inputs increased significantly (to 30/49 or 61% of units). Stimuli to hindlimb nerves needed to elicit neuronal responses was consistently over three times the threshold for eliciting an afferent volley. These data show that inputs from hindlimb afferents smaller than those innervating muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs affect the processing of information in the vestibular nuclei, and that these inputs are enhanced following a bilateral labyrinthectomy. These findings have implications for the development of a limb neuroprosthetics device for the management of bilateral vestibular loss.

Contribution of primary motor cortex to compensatory balance reactions

BACKGROUND

Rapid compensatory arm reactions represent important response strategies following an unexpected loss of balance. While it has been assumed that early corrective actions arise largely from sub-cortical networks, recent findings have prompted speculation about the potential role of cortical involvement. To test the idea that cortical motor regions are involved in early compensatory arm reactions, we used continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) to temporarily suppress the hand area of primary motor cortex (M1) in participants prior to evoking upper limb balance reactions in response to whole body perturbation. We hypothesized that following cTBS to the M1 hand area evoked EMG responses in the stimulated hand would be diminished. To isolate balance reactions to the upper limb participants were seated in an elevated tilt-chair while holding a stable handle with both hands. The chair was held vertical by a magnet and was triggered to fall backward unpredictably. To regain balance, participants used the handle to restore upright stability as quickly as possible with both hands. Muscle activity was recorded from proximal and distal muscles of both upper limbs.

RESULTS

Our results revealed an impact of cTBS on the amplitude of the EMG responses in the stimulated hand muscles often manifest as inhibition in the stimulated hand. The change in EMG amplitude was specific to the target hand muscles and occasionally their homologous pairs on the non-stimulated hand with no consistent effects on the remaining more proximal arm muscles.

CONCLUSIONS

Present findings offer support for cortical contributions to the control of early compensatory arm reactions following whole-body perturbation.

Physiological and circuit mechanisms of postural control

The postural system maintains a specific body orientation and equilibrium during standing and during locomotion in the presence of many destabilizing factors (external and internal). Numerous studies in humans have revealed essential features of the functional organization of this system. Recent studies on different animal models have significantly supplemented human studies. They have greatly expanded our knowledge of how the control system operates, how the postural functions are distributed within different parts of CNS, and how these parts interact with each other to produce postural corrections and adjustments. This review outlines recent advances in the studies of postural control in quadrupeds, with special attention given the neuronal postural mechanisms.

Pyramidal tract neurons receptive to different forelimb joints act differently during locomotion

During locomotion, motor cortical neurons projecting to the pyramidal tract (PTNs) discharge in close relation to strides. How their discharges vary based on the part of the body they influence is not well understood. We addressed this question with regard to joints of the forelimb in the cat. During simple and ladder locomotion, we compared the activity of four groups of PTNs with somatosensory receptive fields involving different forelimb joints: 1) 45 PTNs receptive to movements of shoulder, 2) 30 PTNs receptive to movements of elbow, 3) 40 PTNs receptive to movements of wrist, and 4) 30 nonresponsive PTNs. In the motor cortex, a relationship exists between the location of the source of afferent input and the target for motor output. On the basis of this relationship, we inferred the forelimb joint that a PTN influences from its somatosensory receptive field. We found that different PTNs tended to discharge differently during locomotion. During simple locomotion shoulder-related PTNs were most active during late stance/early swing, and upon transition from simple to ladder locomotion they often increased activity and stride-related modulation while reducing discharge duration. Elbow-related PTNs were most active during late swing/early stance and typically did not change activity, modulation, or discharge duration on the ladder. Wrist-related PTNs were most active during swing and upon transition to the ladder often decreased activity and increased modulation while reducing discharge duration. These data suggest that during locomotion the motor cortex uses distinct mechanisms to control the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.

Contribution of different limb controllers to modulation of motor cortex neurons during locomotion

During locomotion, neurons in motor cortex exhibit profound step-related frequency modulation. The source of this modulation is unclear. The aim of this study was to reveal the contribution of different limb controllers (locomotor mechanisms of individual limbs) to the periodic modulation of motor cortex neurons during locomotion. Experiments were conducted in chronically instrumented cats. The activity of single neurons was recorded during regular quadrupedal locomotion (control), as well as when only one pair of limbs (fore, hind, right, or left) was walking while another pair was standing. Comparison of the modulation patterns in these neurons (their discharge profile with respect to the step cycle) during control and different bipedal locomotor tasks revealed several groups of neurons that receive distinct combinations of inputs from different limb controllers. In the majority (73%) of neurons from the forelimb area of motor cortex, modulation during control was determined exclusively by forelimb controllers (right, left, or both), while in the minority (27%), hindlimb controllers also contributed. By contrast, only in 30% of neurons from the hindlimb area was modulation determined exclusively by hindlimb controllers (right or both), while in 70% of them, the controllers of forelimbs also contributed. We suggest that such organization of inputs allows the motor cortex to contribute to the right-left limbs' coordination within each of the girdles during locomotion, and that it also allows hindlimb neurons to participate in coordination of the movements of the hindlimbs with those of the forelimbs.

Activity of motor cortex neurons during backward locomotion

Forward walking (FW) and backward walking (BW) are two important forms of locomotion in quadrupeds. Participation of the motor cortex in the control of FW has been intensively studied, whereas cortical activity during BW has never been investigated. The aim of this study was to analyze locomotion-related activity of the motor cortex during BW and compare it with that during FW. For this purpose, we recorded activity of individual neurons in the cat during BW and FW. We found that the discharge frequency in almost all neurons was modulated in the rhythm of stepping during both FW and BW. However, the modulation patterns during BW and FW were different in 80% of neurons. To determine the source of modulating influences (forelimb controllers vs. hindlimb controllers), the neurons were recorded not only during quadrupedal locomotion but also during bipedal locomotion (with either forelimbs or hindlimbs walking), and their modulation patterns were compared. We found that during BW (like during FW), modulation in some neurons was determined by inputs from limb controllers of only one girdle, whereas the other neurons received inputs from both girdles. The combinations of inputs could depend on the direction of locomotion. Most often (in 51% of forelimb-related neurons and in 34% of the hindlimb-related neurons), the neurons received inputs only from their own girdle when this girdle was leading and from both girdles when this girdle was trailing. This reconfiguration of inputs suggests flexibility of the functional roles of individual cortical neurons during different forms of locomotion.

Activity of red nucleus neurons in the cat during postural corrections

The dorsal-side-up body posture in standing quadrupeds is maintained by the postural system, which includes spinal and supraspinal mechanisms driven by somatosensory inputs from the limbs. A number of descending tracts can transmit supraspinal commands for postural corrections. The first aim of this study was to understand whether the rubrospinal tract participates in their transmission. We recorded activity of red nucleus neurons (RNNs) in the cat maintaining balance on the periodically tilting platform. Most neurons were identified as rubrospinal ones. It was found that many RNNs were profoundly modulated by tilts, suggesting that they transmit postural commands. The second aim of this study was to examine the contribution of sensory inputs from individual limbs to posture-related RNN modulation. Each RNN was recorded during standing on all four limbs, as well as when two or three limbs were lifted from the platform and could not signal platform displacements. By comparing RNN responses in different tests, we found that the amplitude and phase of responses in the majority of RNNs were determined primarily by sensory input from the corresponding (fore or hind) contralateral limb, whereas inputs from other limbs made a much smaller contribution to RNN modulation. These findings suggest that the rubrospinal system is primarily involved in the intralimb postural coordination, i.e., in the feedback control of the corresponding limb and, to a lesser extent, in the interlimb coordination. This study provides a new insight into the formation of supraspinal motor commands for postural corrections.

Activity of pyramidal tract neurons in the cat during standing and walking on an inclined plane

To keep balance when standing or walking on a surface inclined in the roll plane, the cat modifies its body configuration so that the functional length of its right and left limbs becomes different. The aim of the present study was to assess the motor cortex participation in the generation of this left/right asymmetry. We recorded the activity of fore- and hindlimb-related pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs) during standing and walking on a treadmill. A difference in PTN activity at two tilted positions of the treadmill (+/- 15 deg) was considered a positional response to surface inclination. During standing, 47% of PTNs exhibited a positional response, increasing their activity with either the contra-tilt (20%) or the ipsi-tilt (27%). During walking, PTNs were modulated in the rhythm of stepping, and tilts of the supporting surface evoked positional responses in the form of changes to the magnitude of modulation in 58% of PTNs. The contra-tilt increased activity in 28% of PTNs, and ipsi-tilt increased activity in 30% of PTNs. We suggest that PTNs with positional responses contribute to the modifications of limb configuration that are necessary for adaptation to the inclined surface. By comparing the responses to tilts in individual PTNs during standing and walking, four groups of PTNs were revealed: responding in both tasks (30%); responding only during standing (16%); responding only during walking (30%); responding in none of the tasks (24%). This diversity suggests that common and separate cortical mechanisms are used for postural adaptation to tilts during standing and walking.

Tibialis anterior stretch reflex in early stance is suppressed by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

A rapid plantar flexion perturbation in the early stance phase of walking elicits a large stretch reflex in tibialis anterior (TA). In this study we use repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to test if this response is mediated through a transcortical pathway. TA stretch reflexes were elicited in the early stance phase of the step cycle during treadmill walking. Twenty minutes of 1 Hz rTMS at 115% resting motor threshold (MT(r)) significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the magnitude of the later component of the reflex at a latency of approximately 100 ms up to 25 min after the rTMS. Control experiments in which stretch reflexes were elicited during sitting showed no effect on the spinally mediated short and medium latency stretch reflexes (SLR and MLR) while the long latency stretch reflex (LLR) and the motor-evoked potential (MEP) showed a significant decrease 10 min after 115% MT(r) rTMS. This study demonstrates that 1 Hz rTMS applied to the leg area of the motor cortex can suppress the long latency TA stretch reflex during sitting and in the stance phase of walking. These results are in line with the hypothesis that the later component of the TA stretch reflex in the stance phase of walking is mediated by a transcortical pathway. An alternative explanation for the observed results is that the reflex is mediated by subcortical structures that are affected by the rTMS. This study also shows that rTMS may be used to study the neural control of walking.