Movement is governed by rotational population dynamics in spinal motor networks

ABSTRACT Although the generation of movements is a fundamental function of the nervous system, the underlying neural principles remain unclear. Since flexor- and extensor-muscles alternate during rhythmic movements like walking, it is often assumed that the responsible neural circuitry is similarly displaying alternating activity. Here, we present ensemble-recordings of neurons in the lumbar spinal cord that indicate that, rather than alternating, the population is performing a low-dimensional “rotation” in neural space, in which the neural activity is cycling through all phases continuously during the rhythmic behavior. The radius of rotation correlates with the intended muscle force and a perturbation of the low-dimensional trajectory can modify the motor behavior. Since existing models of spinal motor control offer an inadequate explanation of rotation, we propose a new theory of neural generation of movements from which this and other unresolved issues, such as speed regulation, force control, and multi-functionalism, are readily explained.