Pattern generation for stick insect walking movements—multisensory control of a locomotor program

Bässler, Ulrich; Büschges, Ansgar

doi:10.1016/s0165-0173(98)00006-x

Cited by 223 publications

(187 citation statements)

References 99 publications

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“…When compared with terrestrial arthropods (Bassler & Buschges 1998), underwater walking arthropods, e.g. the lobster, face a set of unique challenges.…”

Section: Lobster Biomechanicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomimetic approaches to the control of underwater walking machines

Ayers

Witting

2006

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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We have developed a biomimetic robot based on the American lobster. The robot is designed to achieve the performance advantages of the animal model by adopting biomechanical features and neurobiological control principles. Three types of controllers are described. The first is a state machine based on the connectivity and dynamics of the lobster central pattern generator (CPG). The state machine controls myomorphic actuators based on shape memory alloys (SMAs) and responds to environmental perturbation through sensors that employ a labelled-line code. The controller supports a library of action patterns and exteroceptive reflexes to mediate tactile navigation, obstacle negotiation and adaptation to surge. We are extending this controller to neuronal network-based models. A second type of leg CPG is based on synaptic networks of electronic neurons and has been adapted to control the SMA actuated leg. A brain is being developed using layered reflexes based on discrete time map-based neurons.

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“…When compared with terrestrial arthropods (Bassler & Buschges 1998), underwater walking arthropods, e.g. the lobster, face a set of unique challenges.…”

Section: Lobster Biomechanicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomimetic approaches to the control of underwater walking machines

Ayers

Witting

2006

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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“…In a preliminary attempt to determine the basis of this change in gain within the FT-joint control network, intracellular recordings were made from tibial premotor interneurons and motor neurons, specifically the fast extensor motor neuron, FETi, and nonspiking interneurons in the fCO reflex pathway (Büschges 1990). Tibial motor neurons are known to receive synaptic input from fCO signals via direct monosynaptic pathways and via polysynaptic pathways, with both types of pathways participating in the generation of reflexes (Bässler and Büschges 1998;Büschges et al 2000). Intracellular recordings were made from FETi (n ϭ 3), and the response of FETi to rampand-hold fCO stimulation was tested before and after random fCO movement (30-s duration, 60°amplitude).…”

Section: Correlation Of Fco Adaptation With Activity Of Premotor Elemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sensory input from leg proprioceptors plays a significant role in controlling motor output in vertebrates and invertebrates (reviews: Bässler and Büschges 1998;Cattaert and LeRay 2001;Cruse 1990;Pearson 1993). In insects, detailed knowledge has been gathered about the structure of the underlying neuronal networks and the role of sensory signals from leg proprioceptors to the CNS in locomotor control (Bässler and Büschges 1998;Burrows 1996).…”

Section: Fco Afferent Adaptation and The Ft-control Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In locomotor systems, transient sensory information plays a significant role in the generation of a proper motor output by controlling the magnitude and time course of motor activity and by controlling phase transitions in rhythmic locomotor programs (Bässler and Büschges 1998;Cattaert and LeRay 2001;Grillner 1981;Pearson 2000). Therefore sensory adaptation may have important functional consequences in sensorimotor systems that continuously receive and process sensory information during the generation of functional motor programs such as postural control while standing and movement control during locomotion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, signals from the fCO mediate reflexes regulating position and movements of the FT joint during standing and voluntary movements (Büschges et al 2000). These reflexes are highly flexible and are adapted to suit the actual behavioral state, thereby exhibiting significant changes in gain or even a reversal in sign (for review, see Bässler 1993;Bässler and Büschges 1998). On the basis of this extensive knowledge of the role of specific fCO signals and their subsequent processing, fCO afferents are well suited for investigating the significance of adaptation in a sense organ contributing to motor control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Activity-Dependent Sensitivity of Proprioceptive Sensory Neurons in the Stick Insect Femoral Chordotonal Organ

DiCaprio

Wolf

Büschges

2002

Journal of Neurophysiology

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schges. Activitydependent sensitivity of proprioceptive sensory neurons in the stick insect femoral chordotonal organ. J Neurophysiol 88: 2387-2398, 2002; 10.1152/jn.00339.2002. Mechanosensory neurons exhibit a wide range of dynamic changes in response, including rapid and slow adaptation. In addition to mechanical factors, electrical processes may also contribute to sensory adaptation. We have investigated adaptation of afferent neurons in the stick insect femoral chordotonal organ (fCO). The fCO contains sensory neurons that respond to position, velocity, and acceleration of the tibia. We describe the influence of random mechanical stimulation of the fCO on the response of fCO afferent neurons. The activity of individual sensory neurons was recorded intracellularly from their axons in the main leg nerve. Most fCO afferents (93%) exhibited a marked decrease in response to trapezoidal stimuli following sustained white noise stimulation (bandwidth ϭ 60 Hz, amplitudes from Ϯ5 to Ϯ30°). Concurrent decreases in the synaptic drive to leg motoneurons and interneurons were also observed. Electrical stimulation of spike activity in individual fCO afferents in the absence of mechanical stimulation also led to a dramatic decrease in response in 15 of 19 afferents tested. This indicated that electrical processes are involved in the regulation of the generator potential or encoding of action potentials and partially responsible for the decreased response of the afferents. Replacing Ca 2ϩ with Ba 2ϩ in the saline surrounding the fCO greatly reduced or blocked the decrease in response elicited by electrically induced activity or mechanical stimulation when compared with control responses. Our results indicate that activity of fCO sensory neurons strongly affects their sensitivity, most likely via Ca 2ϩ -dependent processes.

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Comparative Psychology of Motor Systems

Fouad

Fischer

Büschges

2003

Handbook of Psychology

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Research in the field of locomotor control has greatly benefited from studies in lower vertebrates and invertebrates. These model systems helped to unravel basic principles for locomotor pattern generation from the systems down to the subcellular level, indicating that a functional locomotor program results from a close interaction between central pattern‐generating networks with peripheral signals from appendages as well as coordinating signals from adjacent segments. At present, it is clear that most of the mechanisms described also contribute to locomotor pattern generation in higher vertebrates, including mammals. Therefore, it currently appears that common principles underlie the design of locomotor networks in the entire animal kingdom. This review will give an historic overview of the research in this field and summarize in a comparative manner the current knowledge on several aspects of pattern generating networks for locomotion, including the construction principles and location of pattern‐generating networks for locomotion, the role of sensory signals, plasticity in motor systems, and modulation of locomotor activity. A major outcome of recent research is that networks are by no means “hardwired” but instead flexible regarding their topology, and the properties of the connections between their components.

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Pattern generation for stick insect walking movements—multisensory control of a locomotor program

Cited by 223 publications

References 99 publications

Biomimetic approaches to the control of underwater walking machines

Biomimetic approaches to the control of underwater walking machines

Activity-Dependent Sensitivity of Proprioceptive Sensory Neurons in the Stick Insect Femoral Chordotonal Organ

Comparative Psychology of Motor Systems

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