Modeling the output of a central pattern generator

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ronald Calabrese, Emory University; Paul Garcia, Emory University; Brian Norris, Emory University; Terrence Wright, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2007
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2007 Calabrese et al
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2202-8-S2-P166
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC Neuroscience
• ISSN: 1471-2202
• Volume: 8
• Issue: Suppl 2
• Start Page: P166
• End Page: P166
• Research Categories: Biology, General; Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

Experimental analysis in our lab has provided a quantitative description of the spatiotemporal pattern of inhibitory synaptic input from the heartbeat central pattern generator (CPG) to segmental motor neurons that drive heartbeat in the medicinal leech. To begin the process of elucidating the relative roles of this pattern of input and motor neuron intrinsic properties and electrical coupling in the elaboration of the heartbeat fictive motor pattern, we constructed a conductance-based ensemble model of all the segmental heart motor neurons and their known synaptic inputs. Our focus was intersegmental and side-to-side coordination of the asymmetric motor pattern: motor neurons on one side fire nearly in synchrony (synchronous coordination), while on the other they fire in a rear-to-front progression (peristaltic coordination). The model reproduces the general trends of the two intersegmental phase relations among motor neurons, but the match with the living system is quantitatively poor, particularly for the peristaltic coordination mode where the phase progression among the segmental motor neurons in the model is only half that observed in the living system. Thus the realistic inputs (experimentally determined) do not produce similarly realistic output in our model.