(S1W2) Control of Muscle Activation part 11 - central pattern generators

Question 1

What is a central pattern generator?

Answer 1

• structure of neurons that cause a pattern to happen
• neurological circuits that when activated can produce rhythmic motor patterns that don’t require voluntary conscious control
• general idea is you’ve got antagonistic pairs that are exciting or inhibiting each other in a loop/pattern

Question 2

How do central pattern generators automatically produce a movement?

Answer 2

• by repeatedly doing a movement we form connections between neurons
• these develop so the movement doesn’t require voluntary conscious control
• one simple stimulus can stimulate multiple motoneuron pools to form these patterns
• one stimulus causes a chain of events making it easy and efficient to stimulate a whole body movement

Question 3

Give example of movements a central pattern generator might stimulate

Answer 3

• walking
• running
• breathing