Locomotion elicited by pinna stimulation in the acute precollicular-postmammillary decerebrate cat.

In the acute precollicular-postmammillary decerebrate cat, pinna stimulation was found to elicit four-legged locomotion on the treadmill. The adequate stimuli for eliciting locomotion were of the nature of deep pressure with the fingertips. The receptive field of the pinna were distributed along the edge of the scapha. When the existing postural tonus after decerebration were highly exaggerated or depressed, the same stimulation failed to elicit locomotion.