Spinal pattern generation and sensory gating mechanisms

Sensory gating mechanisms are deployed during vertebrate locomotion to ensure that adaptive and appropriate motor responses to afferent input occur during all phases of the movement cycle. Recent animal studies on the integration of cutaneous information have investigated the roles of interneurones in sensory gating. Premotor interneurones, rhythmically active during locomotion, as well as 'sensory' interneurones appear to be intimately involved in sensory gating, receiving synaptic inputs from the spinal rhythm generator to gate the flow of sensory information in the spinal cord.