|
| |
|
|
|
|
||||
| Home Help Feedback Subscriptions Archive Search Table of Contents | ||||
Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 198, Issue 9 1963-1976, Copyright © 1995 by Company of Biologists
JOURNAL ARTICLES |
C. Duch and H. J. Pfluger
The motor patterns of the locust's flexor tibiae and metathoracic subcoxal joint muscles were compared during unrestrained horizontal walking, vertical climbing and walking upside-down hanging from a branch. Combining anatomical and structural data with the results from myographic recordings revealed the role of these muscles during walking and their functional adjustments to different loads and gravity effects caused by changes in walking conditions. Motor patterns are remarkably constant during a given walking situation even at quite different walking speeds. In all walking situations, changes in step duration correlate strongly with changes in the duration of retraction but only weakly with the duration of protraction. Different motor units of one muscle can be distinguished by their spike amplitude. They may be active simultaneously or they may alternate and then fire in different phases of the step cycle. For example, during horizontal walking, the small unit of the first abductor (M125) is active during protraction and the large one during retraction. During retraction, the coxal muscles serve two functions: (1) the joint has to be brought back to the posterior extreme position by retractor muscles; (2) the joint has to be stabilized, that is held 'stiffly', by co-activity of functional antagonists. During protraction, it is moved to the anterior extreme position by powerful contractions of protractor muscles. The muscular activity patterns show marked differences depending on the walking situation. Some large motor units spike only sporadically during horizontal walking but burst during vertical climbing and upside-down walking (muscle M121p, the large units of muscles M126 and M120). During upside-down walking, muscles M120 and M121 and the large unit of muscle M125 are active during opposite phases of the step cycle when compared with horizontal walking and vertical climbing (for example, during walking and climbing, muscle M120 is active at the transition between retraction and protraction, whereas during upside-down walking, activity occurs during late protraction and early retraction). The results describe how motor patterns are adjusted to the different requirements of various walking situations.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  K. L. Page, J. Zakotnik, V. Durr, and T. Matheson Motor Control of Aimed Limb Movements in an Insect J Neurophysiol, February 1, 2008; 99(2): 484 - 499. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. I. Goldman, T. S. Chen, D. M. Dudek, and R. J. Full Dynamics of rapid vertical climbing in cockroaches reveals a template J. Exp. Biol., August 1, 2006; 209(15): 2990 - 3000. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Durr and W. Ebeling The behavioural transition from straight to curve walking: kinetics of leg movement parameters and the initiation of turning J. Exp. Biol., June 15, 2005; 208(12): 2237 - 2252. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Durr and T. Matheson Graded Limb Targeting in an Insect Is Caused by the Shift of a Single Movement Pattern J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2003; 90(3): 1754 - 1765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Jing and K. R. Weiss Interneuronal Basis of the Generation of Related but Distinct Motor Programs in Aplysia: Implications for Current Neuronal Models of Vertebrate Intralimb Coordination J. Neurosci., July 15, 2002; 22(14): 6228 - 6238. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Diederich, M. Schumm, and H. Cruse Stick Insects Walking Along Inclined Surfaces Integr. Comp. Biol., February 1, 2002; 42(1): 165 - 173. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Faisal and T Matheson Coordinated righting behaviour in locusts J. Exp. Biol., January 2, 2001; 204(4): 637 - 648. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Fischer, J. Schmidt, R. Haas, and A. Buschges Pattern Generation for Walking and Searching Movements of a Stick Insect Leg. I. Coordination of Motor Activity J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2001; 85(1): 341 - 353. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Duysens, F. Clarac, and H. Cruse Load-Regulating Mechanisms in Gait and Posture: Comparative Aspects Physiol Rev, January 1, 2000; 80(1): 83 - 133. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. E. Brunn Cooperative Mechanisms Between Leg Joints of Carausius morosus I. Nonspiking Interneurons That Contribute to Interjoint Coordination J Neurophysiol, June 1, 1998; 79(6): 2964 - 2976. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. E. Brunn and A. Heuer Cooperative Mechanisms Between Leg Joints of Carausius morosus II. Motor Neuron Activity and Influence of ConditionalBursting Interneuron J Neurophysiol, June 1, 1998; 79(6): 2977 - 2985. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Baudoux, C. Duch, and O. T. Morris Coupling of Efferent Neuromodulatory Neurons to Rhythmical Leg Motor Activity in the Locust J Neurophysiol, January 1, 1998; 79(1): 361 - 370. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
