Rewiring movements: A single neuronal population in the spinal cord is crucial to restore walking after paralysis

• 成果类型: Editorial Material
• 署名作者: Kathe, Claudia
• 署名单位: University of Lausanne
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-9952
• 发表日期: 2024-09-27
• 关键词: recovery

摘要

Walking is seemingly effortless for most of us. We walk, run, and climb stairs without consciously thinking about each step. However, these simple movements require a highly complex interplay of muscle activations that consists of left-right leg alternation, coordinated muscle co-contractions, and inhibition of antagonistic muscle contractions. Even more fascinating is that stepping can be generated without any communication between the brain and the spinal cord. This property was demonstrated by Sten Grillner among others in the early 1970s through classical experiments on cats with complete spinal transections (1). For individuals with spinal cord injuries, where the communication between the brain and the spinal cord is disrupted, this natural, almost automatic ability to step is often lost, which leads to substantial mobility impairments and, in many cases, permanent paralysis. However, given that stepping can occur independently of brain input, what does this mean for individuals with spinal cord injuries?