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Movement is governed by rotational population dynamics in spinal motor networks

Henrik Lindén, View ORCID ProfileP. C. Petersen, M. Vestergaard, View ORCID ProfileRune W. Berg
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.31.458405
Henrik Lindén
1Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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  • For correspondence: runeb@sund.ku.dk hlinden@sund.ku.dk
P. C. Petersen
2Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
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M. Vestergaard
3Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin-Buch Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13092 Berlin, Germany
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Rune W. Berg
1Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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  • For correspondence: runeb@sund.ku.dk hlinden@sund.ku.dk
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Abstract

Although the nervous system is elegantly orchestrating movements, the underlying neural principles remain unknown. Since flexor- and extensor-muscles alternate during movements like walking, it is often assumed that the responsible neural circuitry is similarly alternating in opposition. Here, we present ensemble-recordings of neurons in the turtle lumbar spinal cord that indicate that, rather than alternation, the population is performing a “rotation” in neural space, i.e. the neural activity is cycling through all phases continuously during the rhythmic behavior. The radius of rotation correlates with the intended muscle force. Since existing models of spinal motor control offer inadequate explanation of this dynamics, we propose a new theory of neural generation of movement from which rotation and other unresolved issues, such as speed regulation, force control, and multi-functionalism, are conveniently explained.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • https://berg-lab.net

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
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Posted September 01, 2021.
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Movement is governed by rotational population dynamics in spinal motor networks
Henrik Lindén, P. C. Petersen, M. Vestergaard, Rune W. Berg
bioRxiv 2021.08.31.458405; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.31.458405
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Movement is governed by rotational population dynamics in spinal motor networks
Henrik Lindén, P. C. Petersen, M. Vestergaard, Rune W. Berg
bioRxiv 2021.08.31.458405; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.31.458405

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