
Rhythmic movements are produced by the muscles in a variety of ways, including walking, running, cycling, crawling, creeping and swimming. Rhythmic motor activity in animals is produced by the activity of CPGs in the spinal cord, which can produce a variety of locomotor rhythms and patterns. The existence of central pattern-generating circuits was first demonstrated by experiments showing that rhythmic movements are still produced after all the sensory feedback from limbs is removed. The innate capacity for generation of rhythmic movement patterns is found across the animal kingdom.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Rhythmic movements are produced by | Sensory receptors monitoring the position of limbs and joints |
| An oscillatory circuit in the brain stem or spinal cord providing essential timing for sequential muscle activation | |
| Rhythmic movements are still produced when | All sensory feedback from limbs is removed |
| Rhythmic motor activity in animals is produced by | The activity of CPGs in the spinal cord |
| Humans produce rhythmic motor patterns during | Walking, running, cycling, crawling, creeping and swimming |
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What You'll Learn
- Rhythmic movements are still produced when sensory feedback from limbs is removed
- The brain stem or spinal cord in vertebrates, or central ganglia in invertebrates, provide the timing for sequential muscle activation
- Humans produce a variety of rhythmic motor patterns during terrestrial and aquatic locomotion
- Rhythmic motor activity in animals is produced by the activity of CPGs in the spinal cord
- Reflex amplitude is observed during static voluntary muscle activation but not during rhythmic movement

Rhythmic movements are still produced when sensory feedback from limbs is removed
The spinal cord is not the only source of these central pattern-generating circuits. Invertebrate animals, for example, have central pattern-generating circuits in their central ganglia. These circuits can be isolated and will still produce 'fictive' motor patterns similar to those that would drive movement if the muscles were attached. Spinal cords isolated from rats, mice, lamprey and chicks are all able to generate fictive motor patterns, and slices of vertebrate brain stem generate fictive respiratory rhythms.
Humans produce a variety of rhythmic motor patterns during all forms of terrestrial and aquatic locomotion, including walking, running, cycling, crawling, creeping and swimming. These rhythmic movements are produced in large part by the activity of CPGs in the spinal cord.
The innate capacity for the generation of rhythmic movement patterns is found across the animal kingdom. Common neural patterning acts as the regulator of arm and leg movement during various rhythmic human movements.
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The brain stem or spinal cord in vertebrates, or central ganglia in invertebrates, provide the timing for sequential muscle activation
Rhythmic movement in animals is produced by the activity of CPGs (central pattern-generating circuits) in the spinal cord, which can produce a variety of locomotor rhythms and patterns. In vertebrates, an oscillatory circuit in the brain stem or spinal cord provides the essential timing for the sequential activation of the muscles needed to produce the desired repetitive movement. This mechanism has been termed a 'central pattern generator'.
In invertebrates, the central ganglia provide the timing for sequential muscle activation. The existence of central pattern-generating circuits was first demonstrated by experiments showing that rhythmic movements are still produced after all the sensory feedback from limbs is removed. For example, isolated ganglia from invertebrates and spinal cords from vertebrates are able to generate 'fictive' motor patterns, similar to those that would drive movement if the muscles were attached.
Humans produce a variety of rhythmic motor patterns during all forms of terrestrial and aquatic locomotion, including walking, running, cycling, crawling, creeping and swimming. Neural patterning is the regulator of arm and leg movement during various rhythmic human movements.
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Humans produce a variety of rhythmic motor patterns during terrestrial and aquatic locomotion
The two different classes of models to explain the generation of rhythmic movements are:
- Sensory receptors continuously monitor the position of all limbs and joints, thus activating reflexes to trigger the next appropriate movement.
- The existence of an oscillatory circuit in the brain stem or spinal cord in vertebrates, or in central ganglia in invertebrates, to provide the essential timing for the sequential activation of the muscles needed to produce the desired repetitive movement. The former mechanism has been termed a 'chain of reflexes' and the latter a 'central pattern generator'.
Humans produce rhythmic motor patterns during walking, running, cycling, crawling, creeping and swimming. Common neural patterning regulates arm and leg movement during various rhythmic human movements.
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Rhythmic motor activity in animals is produced by the activity of CPGs in the spinal cord
Rhythmic motor activity in animals is produced by the activity of central pattern-generating circuits (CPGs) in the spinal cord. These circuits, also known as 'central pattern generators', are responsible for providing the essential timing for the sequential activation of muscles needed to produce desired repetitive movements. The existence of CPGs was first demonstrated by experiments showing that rhythmic movements are still produced even when all sensory feedback from limbs is removed.
In many invertebrate animals, isolated ganglia produce fictive motor patterns. Fictive motor patterns are produced by pieces of the nervous system that have been removed from the animal, similar to those that would drive movement if the muscles were still attached. Spinal cords isolated from rats, mice, lamprey and chicks are all able to generate fictive motor patterns, and slices of vertebrate brain stem generate fictive respiratory rhythms.
The innate capacity for the generation of rhythmic movement patterns is found across the animal kingdom. Humans produce a variety of rhythmic motor patterns during all forms of terrestrial and aquatic locomotion, including walking, running, cycling, crawling, creeping and swimming. These movements are made possible by the activity of CPGs in the spinal cord, which can produce a variety of locomotor rhythms and patterns.
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Reflex amplitude is observed during static voluntary muscle activation but not during rhythmic movement
Rhythmic movement can be explained by two different classes of models. The first suggests that sensory receptors continuously monitor the position of all limbs and joints, thus activating reflexes to trigger the next appropriate movement. This mechanism has been termed the 'chain of reflexes'. The second suggests the existence of an oscillatory circuit in the brain stem or spinal cord in vertebrates, or in central ganglia in invertebrates, to provide the essential timing for the sequential activation of the muscles needed to produce the desired repetitive movement. This mechanism has been termed the 'central pattern generator'.
The 'central pattern generator' has been demonstrated by experiments showing that rhythmic movements are still produced after all the sensory feedback from limbs is removed. This has been studied through fictive motor patterns produced by pieces of the nervous system removed from the animal, similar to those that would drive movement if the muscles were attached. Spinal cords isolated from rats, mice, lamprey and chicks are all able to generate them, and slices of vertebrate brain stem generate fictive respiratory rhythms.
The 'central pattern generator' is also supported by the observation that reflex amplitude is observed during static voluntary muscle activation but not during rhythmic movement. This suggests that the generation of rhythmic movement patterns is regulated by common neural patterning, rather than by sensory feedback.
This is further supported by the fact that humans produce a variety of rhythmic motor patterns during all forms of terrestrial and aquatic locomotion, such as walking, running, cycling, crawling, creeping and swimming. These rhythmic motor patterns are produced in large part by the activity of CPGs in the spinal cord, which can produce a variety of locomotor rhythms and patterns.
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Frequently asked questions
Rhythmic motor activity in animals is produced by the activity of CPGs in the spinal cord. Humans produce a variety of rhythmic motor patterns during all forms of terrestrial and aquatic locomotion.
CPGs are central pattern-generating circuits. Experiments have shown that rhythmic movements are still produced after all the sensory feedback from limbs is removed.
CPGs are thought to be an oscillatory circuit in the brain stem or spinal cord in vertebrates, or in central ganglia in invertebrates, which provides the essential timing for the sequential activation of the muscles needed to produce the desired repetitive movement.











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