The distal hindlimb musculature of the cat. Cutaneous reflexes during locomotion.

In order to better understand the organization of the locomotor control system, we examined the temporal patterns of distal hindlimb muscle responses to brief electrical stimulation of cutaneous nerves during walking on a treadmill. Electromyographic recordings were made from twelve muscles; stimuli were applied individually to three nerves at random times throughout the step cycle. A new graphical technique was developed to assist detailed examination of the time course and gating of complex reflex patterns. The short latency reflexes were of two primary types: inhibition of extensors and excitation of flexors; these responses were only evident during locomotor phases in which the respective motoneuron pools were active. Longer-latency response components were gated in a similar but not identical manner, suggesting some independence from the basic locomotory influence on the motoneuronal pool. The phase-dependent gating of reflexes appeared to be consistent with a functional role for reflex responses during locomotion. The reflex responses of muscles with complex anatomical actions were often correspondingly complex.