Topic: central pattern generators

All animal locomotion is rhythmic,whether it is achieved through undulatory movement of the whole body or the coordination of articulated limbs. Neurobiologists have long studied locomotor circuits that produce rhythmic activity with non-rhythmic input, also called central pattern generators (CPGs). However, the cellular and microcircuit implementation of a walking CPG has not been described for any limbed animal. New comprehensive connectomes of the fruit fly ventral nerve cord (VNC) provide an opportunity to study rhythmogenic walking circuits at a synaptic scale.We use a data-driven network

The hypothalamus controls diverse homeostatic functions including fertility. Neural episode generators are required to drive the intermittent pulsatile and surge profiles of reproductive hormone secretion that control gonadal function. Studies in genetic mouse models have been fundamental in defining the neural circuits forming these central pattern generators and the full range of in vitro and in vivo optogenetic and chemogenetic methodologies have enabled investigation into their mechanism of action. The seminar will outline studies defining the hypothalamic “GnRH pulse generator network” an

The mammalian neuronal activity during sleep consists of two main states: non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM), also called slow-wave, and rapid-eye-movement (REM), also called active or paradoxical. The mechanisms underlying this ultradian sleep rhythm are not well understood but likely depend on reciprocal interactions between multiple populations of neurons in the brainstem. Studies have shown variability in sleep patterns across different species, complicating the identification of common mechanistic principles [Siegel, 2008]. Recent evidence in non-mammalian amniotes suggests that similar sleep