Fictive locomotion of the forelimb evoked by stimulation of the mesencephalic locomotor region in the decerebrate cat.

Fictive locomotion, rhythmic nerve discharges mimicking locomotor activities, of the forelimb was found to be evoked by stimulation of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR), as that of the hindlimb, in immobilized decerebrate cats with the lower thoracic cord transected. The effective area for fictive locomotion was highly localized in the dorsolateral portion of the MLR, whereas a locomotor movement on the still belt of the treadmill was elicited from a slightly wider area and that on the moving belt from a further expanded area.