Abnormal activity in the brainstem affects gait in a neuromusculoskeletal model.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The ability to start and stop locomotion in response to different situations is an essential survival strategy in mammals. Mammalian locomotion is controlled by central pattern generators in the spinal cord, which are modulated by higher centers, particularly by the stimulation of the midbrain locomotor region. The midbrain locomotor region consists of the pedunculopontine nucleus and cuneiform nucleus, each having different roles in animals. Optogenetic activation of the cuneiform nucleus increases locomotion activities, whereas that of pedunculopontine nucleus decreases them. In neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, patients exhibit disturbed locomotion controls, including freezing of gait, which is defined as "a brief, episodic absence or marked reductio

SUBMITTER: Ichimura D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11969973 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature