The rhombencephalic "locomotor region" in turtles

Electrical stimulation (10-20 μA, 20-30 Hz) of the rhombencephalon in decerebrate turtles can induce cyclic coordinated limb movemnts. The "locomotor region" is a strip, oriented in the rostro-caudal direction, which coincides in its location with the lateral reticular formation. Both in the medial and in the lateral reticular formation extracellular ipsilateral and contralateral synaptic responses of single neurons evoked by stimulation of the "locomotor region," (10-30 μA, 2 Hz), were recorded. Usually these responses had latent periods of between 3 and 12 msec (mode 5-6 msec). Excitation of the "locomotor region" thus leads to extensive spread of activity in the rhombencephalon. The possible mechanisms of this spread are discussed.