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Fernández-Vidal JM, Olmedo-Saura G, Querol-Gutiérrez LA, Kulisevsky J, Pérez-Pérez J. Crossed-reflex in antiphospholipid chorea. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:4635-4637. [PMID: 38896185 PMCID: PMC11306537 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07622-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Chorea is a hyperkinetic movement disorder associated with various underlyingconditions, including autoimmune diseases such as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). APS can manifest with a wide range of neurological symptoms, including chorea. We present a case of a 77-year-old man with subacute generalized chorea secondary to primary APS. Notably, the patient exhibited a left patellar crossed-reflex, a phenomenon rarely documented in chorea cases, the pathophysiology of which has not yet been elucidated. In summary, this case challenges the traditional demographics of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) by suggesting a potential link between APS and late-age patients. It emphasizes the importance of considering APS in late-onset chorea cases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gonzalo Olmedo-Saura
- Department of Neurology, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, 90 Mas Casanovas St 08040, Barcelona, Spain
- Network Research Center, Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Barcelona Autonomous University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Antonio Querol-Gutiérrez
- Department of Neurology, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Network Research Center-Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Barcelona Autonomous University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Kulisevsky
- Department of Neurology, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, 90 Mas Casanovas St 08040, Barcelona, Spain
- Network Research Center, Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Barcelona Autonomous University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Pérez-Pérez
- Department of Neurology, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
- Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, 90 Mas Casanovas St 08040, Barcelona, Spain.
- Network Research Center, Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Medicine, Barcelona Autonomous University, Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Gradwell MA, Ozeri-Engelhard N, Eisdorfer JT, Laflamme OD, Gonzalez M, Upadhyay A, Medlock L, Shrier T, Patel KR, Aoki A, Gandhi M, Abbas-Zadeh G, Oputa O, Thackray JK, Ricci M, George A, Yusuf N, Keating J, Imtiaz Z, Alomary SA, Bohic M, Haas M, Hernandez Y, Prescott SA, Akay T, Abraira VE. Multimodal sensory control of motor performance by glycinergic interneurons of the mouse spinal cord deep dorsal horn. Neuron 2024; 112:1302-1327.e13. [PMID: 38452762 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Sensory feedback is integral for contextually appropriate motor output, yet the neural circuits responsible remain elusive. Here, we pinpoint the medial deep dorsal horn of the mouse spinal cord as a convergence point for proprioceptive and cutaneous input. Within this region, we identify a population of tonically active glycinergic inhibitory neurons expressing parvalbumin. Using anatomy and electrophysiology, we demonstrate that deep dorsal horn parvalbumin-expressing interneuron (dPV) activity is shaped by convergent proprioceptive, cutaneous, and descending input. Selectively targeting spinal dPVs, we reveal their widespread ipsilateral inhibition onto pre-motor and motor networks and demonstrate their role in gating sensory-evoked muscle activity using electromyography (EMG) recordings. dPV ablation altered limb kinematics and step-cycle timing during treadmill locomotion and reduced the transitions between sub-movements during spontaneous behavior. These findings reveal a circuit basis by which sensory convergence onto dorsal horn inhibitory neurons modulates motor output to facilitate smooth movement and context-appropriate transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Gradwell
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Nofar Ozeri-Engelhard
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Neuroscience PhD program, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Jaclyn T Eisdorfer
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Olivier D Laflamme
- Dalhousie PhD program, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Medical Neuroscience, Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Center, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Melissa Gonzalez
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Aman Upadhyay
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Neuroscience PhD program, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Laura Medlock
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tara Shrier
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Komal R Patel
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Adin Aoki
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Melissa Gandhi
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Gloria Abbas-Zadeh
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Olisemaka Oputa
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Joshua K Thackray
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Tourette International Collaborative Genetics Study (TIC Genetics)
| | - Matthew Ricci
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Arlene George
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Nusrath Yusuf
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Neuroscience PhD program, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Jessica Keating
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Zarghona Imtiaz
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Simona A Alomary
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Manon Bohic
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Michael Haas
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Yurdiana Hernandez
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Steven A Prescott
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Turgay Akay
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Center, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Victoria E Abraira
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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3
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Laflamme OD, Markin SN, Deska-Gauthier D, Banks R, Zhang Y, Danner SM, Akay T. Distinct roles of spinal commissural interneurons in transmission of contralateral sensory information. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3452-3464.e4. [PMID: 37531957 PMCID: PMC10528931 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Crossed reflexes are mediated by commissural pathways transmitting sensory information to the contralateral side of the body, but the underlying network is not fully understood. Commissural pathways coordinating the activities of spinal locomotor circuits during locomotion have been characterized in mice, but their relationship to crossed reflexes is unknown. We show the involvement of two genetically distinct groups of commissural interneurons (CINs) described in mice, V0 and V3 CINs, in the crossed reflex pathways. Our data suggest that the exclusively excitatory V3 CINs are directly involved in the excitatory crossed reflexes and show that they are essential for the inhibitory crossed reflexes. In contrast, the V0 CINs, a population that includes excitatory and inhibitory CINs, are not directly involved in excitatory or inhibitory crossed reflexes but downregulate the inhibitory crossed reflexes. Our data provide insights into the spinal circuitry underlying crossed reflexes in mice, describing the roles of V0 and V3 CINs in crossed reflexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier D Laflamme
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3T 0A6, Canada
| | - Sergey N Markin
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Dylan Deska-Gauthier
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3T 0A6, Canada
| | - Rachel Banks
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3T 0A6, Canada
| | - Ying Zhang
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3T 0A6, Canada
| | - Simon M Danner
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Turgay Akay
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3T 0A6, Canada.
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4
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Giorgi A, Cer AT, Mohan S, Perreault MC. Excitatory and Inhibitory Descending Commissural Interneurons Differentially Integrate Supraspinal and Segmental Sensory Signals. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5014-5029. [PMID: 37286348 PMCID: PMC10324999 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2015-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The limited information about how descending inputs from the brain and sensory inputs from the periphery use spinal cord interneurons (INs) is a major barrier to understanding how these inputs may contribute to motor functions under normal and pathologic conditions. Commissural interneurons (CINs) are a heterogeneous population of spinal INs that has been implicated in crossed motor responses and bilateral motor coordination (ability to use the right and left side of the body in a coordinated manner) and, therefore, are likely involved in many types of movement (e.g., dynamic posture stabilization, jumping, kicking, walking). In this study, we incorporate mouse genetics, anatomy, electrophysiology, and single-cell calcium imaging to investigate how a subset of CINs, those with descending axons called dCINs, are recruited by descending reticulospinal and segmental sensory signals independently and in combination. We focus on two groups of dCINs set apart by their principal neurotransmitter (glutamate and GABA) and identified as VGluT2+ dCINs and GAD2+ dCINs. We show that VGluT2+ and GAD2+ dCINs are both extensively recruited by reticulospinal and sensory input alone but that VGluT2+ and GAD2+ dCINs integrate these inputs differently. Critically, we find that when recruitment depends on the combined action of reticulospinal and sensory inputs (subthreshold inputs), VGluT2+ dCINs, but not GAD2+ dCINs, are recruited. This difference in the integrative capacity of VGluT2+ and GAD2+ dCINs represents a circuit mechanism that the reticulospinal and segmental sensory systems may avail themselves of to regulate motor behaviors both normally and after injury.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The way supraspinal and peripheral sensory inputs use spinal cord interneurons is fundamental to defining how motor functions are supported both in health and disease. This study, which focuses on dCINs, a heterogeneous population of spinal interneurons critical for crossed motor responses and bilateral motor coordination, shows that both glutamatergic (excitatory) and GABAergic (inhibitory) dCINs can be recruited by supraspinal (reticulospinal) or peripheral sensory inputs. Additionally, the study demonstrates that in conditions where the recruitment of dCINs depends on the combined action of reticulospinal and sensory inputs, only excitatory dCINs are recruited. The study uncovers a circuit mechanism that the reticulospinal and segmental sensory systems may avail themselves of to regulate motor behaviors both normally and after injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Giorgi
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Abishag Tluang Cer
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Shruthi Mohan
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
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5
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Laflamme OD, Markin SN, Banks R, Zhang Y, Danner SM, Akay T. Distinct roles of spinal commissural interneurons in transmission of contralateral sensory information. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.16.528842. [PMID: 36824871 PMCID: PMC9949098 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.16.528842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
Crossed reflexes (CR) are mediated by commissural pathways transmitting sensory information to the contralateral side of the body, but the underlying network is not fully understood. Commissural pathways coordinating the activities of spinal locomotor circuits during locomotion have been characterized in mice, but their relationship to CR is unknown. We show the involvement of two genetically distinct groups of commissural interneurons (CINs) described in mice, V0 and V3 CINs, in the CR pathways. Our data suggest that the exclusively excitatory V3 CINs are directly involved in the excitatory CR, and show that they are essential for the inhibitory CR. In contrast, the V0 CINs, a population that includes excitatory and inhibitory CINs, are not directly involved in excitatory or inhibitory CRs but down-regulate the inhibitory CR. Our data provide insights into the spinal circuitry underlying CR in mice, describing the roles of V0 and V3 CINs in CR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier D. Laflamme
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Sergey N. Markin
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Rachel Banks
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Ying Zhang
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Simon M. Danner
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Turgay Akay
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Spinal Cord Circuits: Models and Reality. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11062-022-09927-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Laflamme OD, Ibrahim M, Akay T. Crossed reflex responses to flexor nerve stimulation in mice. J Neurophysiol 2022; 127:493-503. [PMID: 34986055 PMCID: PMC8836714 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00385.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor responses in one leg to sensory stimulation of the contralateral leg have been named "crossed reflexes" and are extensively investigated in cats and humans. Despite this effort, a circuit-level understanding of the crossed reflexes has remained missing. In mice, advances in molecular genetics enabled insights into the "commissural spinal circuitry" that ensures coordinated leg movements during locomotion. Despite some common features between the commissural spinal circuitry and the circuit for the crossed reflexes, the degree to which they overlap has remained obscure. Here, we describe excitatory crossed reflex responses elicited by electrically stimulating the common peroneal nerve that mainly innervates ankle flexor muscles and the skin on anterolateral aspect of the hind leg. Stimulation of the peroneal nerve with low current intensity evoked low-amplitude motor responses in the contralateral flexor and extensor muscles. At higher current strengths, stimulation of the same nerve evoked stronger and more synchronous responses in the same contralateral muscles. In addition to the excitatory crossed reflex pathway indicated by muscle activation, we demonstrate the presence of an inhibitory crossed reflex pathway, which was modulated when the motor pools were active during walking. The results are compared with the crossed reflex responses initiated by stimulating proprioceptors from extensor muscles and cutaneous afferents from the posterior part of the leg. We anticipate that these findings will be essential for future research combining the in vivo experiments presented here with mouse genetics to understand crossed reflex pathways at the network level in vivo.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Insights into the mechanisms of crossed reflexes are essential for understanding coordinated leg movements that maintain stable locomotion. Advances in mouse genetics allow for the selective manipulation of spinal interneurons and provide opportunities to understand crossed reflexes. Crossed reflexes in mice, however, are poorly described. Here, we describe crossed reflex responses in mice initiated by stimulation of the common peroneal nerve, which serves as a starting point for investigating crossed reflexes at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier D. Laflamme
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Brain Repair Center, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Marwan Ibrahim
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Brain Repair Center, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Turgay Akay
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Brain Repair Center, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Abstract
When animals walk overground, mechanical stimuli activate various receptors located in muscles, joints, and skin. Afferents from these mechanoreceptors project to neuronal networks controlling locomotion in the spinal cord and brain. The dynamic interactions between the control systems at different levels of the neuraxis ensure that locomotion adjusts to its environment and meets task demands. In this article, we describe and discuss the essential contribution of somatosensory feedback to locomotion. We start with a discussion of how biomechanical properties of the body affect somatosensory feedback. We follow with the different types of mechanoreceptors and somatosensory afferents and their activity during locomotion. We then describe central projections to locomotor networks and the modulation of somatosensory feedback during locomotion and its mechanisms. We then discuss experimental approaches and animal models used to investigate the control of locomotion by somatosensory feedback before providing an overview of the different functional roles of somatosensory feedback for locomotion. Lastly, we briefly describe the role of somatosensory feedback in the recovery of locomotion after neurological injury. We highlight the fact that somatosensory feedback is an essential component of a highly integrated system for locomotor control. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 11:1-71, 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Frigon
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Turgay Akay
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Center, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Boris I Prilutsky
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Akay T, Murray AJ. Relative Contribution of Proprioceptive and Vestibular Sensory Systems to Locomotion: Opportunities for Discovery in the Age of Molecular Science. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1467. [PMID: 33540567 PMCID: PMC7867206 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion is a fundamental animal behavior required for survival and has been the subject of neuroscience research for centuries. In terrestrial mammals, the rhythmic and coordinated leg movements during locomotion are controlled by a combination of interconnected neurons in the spinal cord, referred as to the central pattern generator, and sensory feedback from the segmental somatosensory system and supraspinal centers such as the vestibular system. How segmental somatosensory and the vestibular systems work in parallel to enable terrestrial mammals to locomote in a natural environment is still relatively obscure. In this review, we first briefly describe what is known about how the two sensory systems control locomotion and use this information to formulate a hypothesis that the weight of the role of segmental feedback is less important at slower speeds but increases at higher speeds, whereas the weight of the role of vestibular system has the opposite relation. The new avenues presented by the latest developments in molecular sciences using the mouse as the model system allow the direct testing of the hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Turgay Akay
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Life Science Research Institute, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Andrew J. Murray
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, London W1T 4JG, UK
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10
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Latash EM, Lecomte CG, Danner SM, Frigon A, Rybak IA, Molkov YI. On the Organization of the Locomotor CPG: Insights From Split-Belt Locomotion and Mathematical Modeling. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:598888. [PMID: 33177987 PMCID: PMC7596699 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.598888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhythmic limb movements during locomotion are controlled by central pattern generator (CPG) circuits located in the spinal cord. It is considered that these circuits are composed of individual rhythm generators (RGs) for each limb interacting with each other through multiple commissural and long propriospinal circuits. The organization and operation of each RG are not fully understood, and different competing theories exist about interactions between its flexor and extensor components, as well as about left-right commissural interactions between the RGs. The central idea of circuit organization proposed in this study is that with an increase of excitatory input to each RG (or an increase in locomotor speed) the rhythmogenic mechanism of the RGs changes from "flexor-driven" rhythmicity to a "classical half-center" mechanism. We test this hypothesis using our experimental data on changes in duration of stance and swing phases in the intact and spinal cats walking on the ground or tied-belt treadmills (symmetric conditions) or split-belt treadmills with different left and right belt speeds (asymmetric conditions). We compare these experimental data with the results of mathematical modeling, in which simulated CPG circuits operate in similar symmetric and asymmetric conditions with matching or differing control drives to the left and right RGs. The obtained results support the proposed concept of state-dependent changes in RG operation and specific commissural interactions between the RGs. The performed simulations and mathematical analysis of model operation under different conditions provide new insights into CPG network organization and limb coordination during locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta M. Latash
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Charly G. Lecomte
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Simon M. Danner
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alain Frigon
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Ilya A. Rybak
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Yaroslav I. Molkov
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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11
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Weber KA, Chen Y, Paliwal M, Law CS, Hopkins BS, Mackey S, Dhaher Y, Parrish TB, Smith ZA. Assessing the spatial distribution of cervical spinal cord activity during tactile stimulation of the upper extremity in humans with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116905. [PMID: 32387628 PMCID: PMC7386934 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dermatomal maps are a mainstay of clinical practice and provide information on the spatial distribution of the cutaneous innervation of spinal nerves. Dermatomal deficits can help isolate the level of spinal nerve root involvement in spinal conditions and guide clinicians in diagnosis and treatment. Dermatomal maps, however, have limitations, and the spatial distribution of spinal cord sensory activity in humans remains to be quantitatively assessed. Here we used spinal cord functional MRI to map and quantitatively compare the spatial distribution of sensory spinal cord activity during tactile stimulation of the left and right lateral shoulders (i.e. C5 dermatome) and dorsal third digits of the hands (i.e., C7 dermatome) in healthy humans (n = 24, age = 36.8 ± 11.8 years). Based on the central sites for processing of innocuous tactile sensory information, we hypothesized that the activity would be localized more to the ipsilateral dorsal spinal cord with the lateral shoulder stimulation activity being localized more superiorly than the dorsal third digit. The findings demonstrate lateralization of the activity with the left- and right-sided stimuli having more activation in the ipsilateral hemicord. Contradictory to our hypotheses, the activity for both stimulation sites was spread across the dorsal and ventral hemicords and did not demonstrate a clear superior-inferior localization. Instead, the activity for both stimuli had a broader than expected distribution, extending across the C5, C6, and C7 spinal cord segments. We highlight the complexity of the human spinal cord neuroanatomy and several sources of variability that may explain the observed patterns of activity. While the findings were not completely consistent with our a priori hypotheses, this study provides a foundation for continued work and is an important step towards developing normative quantitative spinal cord measures of sensory function, which may become useful objective MRI-based biomarkers of neurological injury and improve the management of spinal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Weber
- Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
| | - Yufen Chen
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Monica Paliwal
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Christine S Law
- Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin S Hopkins
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sean Mackey
- Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Yasin Dhaher
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Todd B Parrish
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Zachary A Smith
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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