ePoster · Behavioral Neuroscience
Modeling gait dynamics with switching non-linear dynamical systems
Heike Stein, Njiva Andrianarivelo, Clarisse Batifol, Jeremy Gabillet, Ali Jalil, Michael Graupner, N. Alex Cayco Gajic · Bernstein Conference 2024
Locomotion involves the precise coordination of different body parts. On structured surfaces, animals additionally have to adapt their gait to properties of the environment. To study the dynamical principles of locomotor learning in novel environments, we trained mice to walk on a motorized treadmill with evenly spaced rungs. We extracted paw trajectories from behavioral videos and analyzed stepping patterns over the course of two weeks of learning. In early sessions, mouse gaits were highly irregular, with variable inter-paw coordination. Over sessions, coordination between paws increased, le