Neuronal structures controlling locomotor behavior during active and inactive motor states

Hiroshi Nishimaru*, Jumpei Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Setogawa, Hisao Nishijo

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Animal behaviors can be divided into two states according to their motor activity: the active motor state, which involves significant body movements, and the inactive motor state, which refers to when the animal is stationary. The timing and duration of these states are determined by the activity of the neuronal circuits involved in motor control. Among these motor circuits, those that generate locomotion are some of the most studied neuronal networks and are widely distributed from the spinal cord to the cerebral cortex. In this review, we discuss recent discoveries, mainly in rodents using state-of-the-art experimental approaches, of the neuronal mechanisms underlying the initiation and termination of locomotion in the brainstem, basal ganglia, and prefrontal cortex. These findings is discussed with reference to studies on the neuronal mechanism of motor control during sleep and the modulation of cortical states in these structures. Accumulating evidence has unraveled the complex yet highly structured network that controls the transition between motor states.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)83-93
Number of pages11
JournalNeuroscience Research
Volume189
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023/04

Keywords

  • Basal ganglia
  • Initiation
  • Locomotion
  • Mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR)
  • Motor control
  • Prefrontal cortex

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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