Kinematics and motor activity during tethered walking and turning in the cockroach, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Blaberus discoidalis</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Laiyong?MuEmail author Roy?E?Ritzmann |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-7080, USA |
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Abstract: | When insects turn from walking straight, their legs have to follow different motor patterns. In order to examine such pattern
change precisely, we stimulated single antenna of an insect, thereby initiating its turning behavior, tethered over a lightly
oiled glass plate. The resulting behavior included asymmetrical movements of prothoracic and mesothoracic legs. The mesothoracic
leg on the inside of the turn (in the apparent direction of turning) extended the coxa-trochanter and femur-tibia joints during
swing rather than during stance as in walking, while the outside mesothoracic leg kept a slow walking pattern. Electromyograms
in mesothoracic legs revealed consistent changes in the motor neuron activity controlling extension of the coxa-trochanter
and femur-tibia joints. In tethered walking, depressor trochanter activity consistently preceded slow extensor tibia activity.
This pattern was reversed in the inside mesothoracic leg during turning. Also for turning, extensor and depressor motor neurons
of the inside legs were activated in swing phase instead of stance. Turning was also examined in free ranging animals. Although
more variable, some trials resembled the pattern generated by tethered animals. The distinct inter-joint and inter-leg coordination
between tethered turning and walking, therefore, provides a good model to further study the neural control of changing locomotion
patterns. |
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Keywords: | Cockroach Electromyogram Joint coordination Kinematics Turning |
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