Topic: cuneiform nucleus

Locomotion initiation and speed control are dependent on activity in the Mesencephalic Locomotor Region (MLR). In mammals the MLR is constituted of glutamatergic neurons in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) and cuneiform nucleus (CnF) that act together to control locomotion speed. To further understand their contribution in the context of sensory evoked locomotor behaviour, we asked how visually evoked locomotor escape responses in mice are modulated by MLR. To evoke natural escape we used innate looming responses. Using chemogenetic inhibition of targeted Vglut2+ glutamatergic neurons in PPN

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) leads to significant motor deficits, but is often incomplete with spared fibers across the lesion and intact sensory feedback reaching the spinal circuits. This study seeks to enhance the integration of residual supraspinal commands with spinal-level sensory input to improve motor function by inducing adaptive plasticity within the neuronal networks below the site of injury. To selectively increase the supraspinal locomotor drive, we targeted the cuneiform nucleus (CnF) using viral vector delivery of optogenetic activators in a thoracic incomplete SCI mouse model. Phys