Central pattern generators articles from across Nature Portfolio

Bush and Ramirez show that the activity of neuronal populations implicated in generating breathing evolves along a rotational low-dimensional trajectory that is stably maintained even when challenged with opioids but collapses during gasping.

The study by Pallucchi et al. links the molecular identity of motoneuron and V2a interneuron subtypes to their function and uncovers orthogonal transcriptomic rules for their assembly into separate circuit modules controlling locomotor speed.

Based on recordings of superior colliculus (SC) activity from two head-unrestrained monkeys generating eye-head gaze shifts, a quantitative model explores the neural basis of eye-head gaze shifts, and may be useful in investigating the role of the SC in the optimal control of saccades.

The mechanisms underlying motor arrest are unclear. Here, the authors show that Chx10⁺ neurons in the mouse pedunculopontine nucleus control global motor arrest in a pattern of pause (movement on hold) and play (movement resuming from the exact position it paused) likely in response to salient and nonthreatening environmental cues.

Chaos theory eases the path of autonomous robots.