'Mini Brain' in the Spinal Cord to aid Walking
Feb 18, 2015 5:46:27 GMT -8
Post by Lαrα on Feb 18, 2015 5:46:27 GMT -8
This looks like an interesting development....
A new study by the Salk Institute shows that a cluster of neurons in our spinal cords function as a “mini-brain” to help us walk without constant monitoring by the brain. In a paper published last week in the journal Cell, Salk scientists mapped the neural circuitry of the spinal cord that processes the sense of light touch.
This circuitry allows the body to reflexively make small adjustments to foot position and balance using light touch sensors in the feet. The study, conducted in mice, provides the first detailed blueprint for a spinal circuit that serves as control center for integrating motor commands from the brain with sensory information from the limbs.
This circuitry allows the body to reflexively make small adjustments to foot position and balance using light touch sensors in the feet. The study, conducted in mice, provides the first detailed blueprint for a spinal circuit that serves as control center for integrating motor commands from the brain with sensory information from the limbs.
“When we stand and walk, touch sensors on the soles of our feet detect subtle changes in pressure and movement. These sensors send signals to our spinal cord and then to the brain,” says Martyn Goulding, a Salk professor and senior author on the paper. “Our study opens what was essentially a black box, as up until now we didn’t know how these signals are encoded or processed in the spinal cord. Moreover, it was unclear how this touch information was merged with other sensory information to control movement and posture.”
Using cutting-edge imaging techniques, the researchers traced nerve fibers that carry signals from the touch sensors in the feet to their connections in the spinal cord. They found that these sensory fibers connect in the spinal cord with a group of neurons known as RORα neurons, named for a specific type of molecular receptor found in the nucleus of these cells. -
Using cutting-edge imaging techniques, the researchers traced nerve fibers that carry signals from the touch sensors in the feet to their connections in the spinal cord. They found that these sensory fibers connect in the spinal cord with a group of neurons known as RORα neurons, named for a specific type of molecular receptor found in the nucleus of these cells. -
Read more on this development here:
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