Neurocircuit mechanisms of spinal memory for complex sequences of movements

Spinal cord injury disrupts communication between the brain and the spinal cord. As such, severe injury often leads to irreversible paralysis of movements controlled by spinal circuits below the lesion. Previous studies have demonstrated that complete spinalized animals at the thoracic level can produce rhythmic hindlimb movements when provided with a sufficient external drive that mimics descending inputs. Moreover, isolated lumbar spinal cord circuits can integrate and transform somatosensory information from the environment to adapt motor output accordingly. In this project, I will investigate how the spinal cord learns and memorizes complex sequences of movements, such as the one needed to avoid an upcoming obstacle during treadmill bipedal locomotion. I will use a combinatorial approach of kinematic analyses, mouse genetics, and circuit manipulation to identify which cell types in the spinal cord are responsible for the process of learning and memory without the brain.