HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 92/3/1904    most recent 00864.2003v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Katz, P. S. Articles by Davis, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Katz, P. S. Articles by Davis, D.

Cycle Period of a Network Oscillator Is Independent of Membrane Potential and Spiking Activity in Individual Central Pattern Generator Neurons

Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3088

Submitted 4 September 2003; accepted in final form 26 April 2004

Rhythmic motor patterns are thought to arise through the cellular properties and synaptic interactions of neurons in central pattern generator (CPG) circuits. Yet, when examining the CPG underlying the rhythmic escape response of the opisthobranch mollusc, Tritonia diomedea, we found that the cycle period of the fictive swim motor pattern recorded from the isolated nervous system was not altered by changing the resting membrane potential or the level of spiking activity of any of the 3 known CPG cell types: ventral swim interneuron-B (VSI-B), the dorsal swim interneurons (DSIs), and cerebral neuron 2 (C2). Furthermore, tonic firing in one or more DSIs or C2 evoked rhythmic bursting that did not differ from the cycle period of the motor pattern evoked by nerve stimulation, regardless of the firing frequency. In contrast, the CPG produced a large range of cycle periods as a function of temperature. The temperature sensitivity of the fictive motor pattern produced by the isolated nervous system was similar to the temperature sensitivity of the swimming behavior produced by the intact animal. Thus, although the CPG is capable of producing a wide range of cycle periods under the influence of temperature, the membrane potentials and spiking activity of the identified CPG neurons do not determine the periodicity of the motor pattern. This suggests that the timing of activity in this network oscillator may be determined by a mechanism that is independent of the membrane potentials and spike rate of its constituent neurons.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. J. Calin-Jageman, M. J. Tunstall, B. D. Mensh, P. S. Katz, and W. N. Frost Parameter Space Analysis Suggests Multi-Site Plasticity Contributes to Motor Pattern Initiation in Tritonia J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2007; 98(4): 2382 - 2398. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. J. Norris, A. L. Weaver, L. G. Morris, A. Wenning, P. A. Garcia, and R. L. Calabrese A Central Pattern Generator Producing Alternative Outputs: Temporal Pattern of Premotor Activity J Neurophysiol, July 1, 2006; 96(1): 309 - 326. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]