Induction of swimming in the high spinal stingray by L-DOPA.

Stingrays with high spinal transections, which do not spontaneously locomote, can be induced to swim by intravenous injection of L-DOPA. The L-DOPA-induced swim of the spinal animal is associated with patterns of EMG activity that appear similar to those of the spontaneous swim of the decerebrate preparation. However, in contrast to the decerebrate condition, the L-DOPA-induced cycles of swimming are slower and less vigorous. Furthermore, secondary periodicites and altered intersegmental timing relationships are also evident.