A Functional Topographic Map for Spinal Sensorimotor Reflexes

Cutaneous somatosensory modalities play pivotal roles in generating a wide range of sensorimotor behaviors, including protective and corrective reflexes that dynamically adapt ongoing movement and posture. How interneurons (INs) in the dorsal horn encode these modalities and transform them into stim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2021-01, Vol.109 (1), p.91-104.e5
Main Authors: Gatto, Graziana, Bourane, Steeve, Ren, Xiangyu, Di Costanzo, Stefania, Fenton, Peter K., Halder, Priyabrata, Seal, Rebecca P., Goulding, Martyn D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Corrective Reflexes
Dorsal horn
Female
Innate Behavior
Interneurons
Itch
Kinases
Life Sciences
Male
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Neurons
Pain Measurement - methods
Physical Stimulation - adverse effects
Posture
Protective Reflexes
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Reflex - physiology
Reflexes
Rodents
Sensorimotor Integration
Sensorimotor system
Somatosensation
Somatosensory coding
Spinal Circuits
Spinal cord
Spinal Cord - chemistry
Spinal Cord - metabolism
Spinal Cord - pathology
Topography
Touch
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Summary:Cutaneous somatosensory modalities play pivotal roles in generating a wide range of sensorimotor behaviors, including protective and corrective reflexes that dynamically adapt ongoing movement and posture. How interneurons (INs) in the dorsal horn encode these modalities and transform them into stimulus-appropriate motor behaviors is not known. Here, we use an intersectional genetic approach to functionally assess the contribution that eight classes of dorsal excitatory INs make to sensorimotor reflex responses. We demonstrate that the dorsal horn is organized into spatially restricted excitatory modules composed of molecularly heterogeneous cell types. Laminae I/II INs drive chemical itch-induced scratching, laminae II/III INs generate paw withdrawal movements, and laminae III/IV INs modulate dynamic corrective reflexes. These data reveal a key principle in spinal somatosensory processing, namely, sensorimotor reflexes are driven by the differential spatial recruitment of excitatory neurons. [Display omitted] •Dorsal horn sensorimotor reflex modules display a laminar organization•The scratch reflex is elicited by multiple excitatory IN types in laminae I/II•Lamina III INs function as action selector neurons for paw withdrawal•Static and dynamic tactile reflexes are encoded by distinct excitatory modules Gatto et al. address the contribution different excitatory IN types make to somatosensation. Their findings reveal that specific somatosensory reflex programs are encoded by spatially restricted dorsal horn modules that comprise heterogeneous excitatory cell types.
ISSN:0896-6273
1097-4199
DOI:10.1016/j.neuron.2020.10.003