The wind-elicited escape response of cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) is influenced by lesions rostral to the escape circuit.

When the escape response of the cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is triggered by wind, it is mediated by the cercal-to-giant interneuron pathway and leg motor circuitry, within the abdominal and thoracic portions of the ventral nerve cord. We have found that a lesion rostral to the thorax (transection of a cervical connective) produces specific changes in wind-evoked escape. Lesioned animals reliably displayed short-latency responses to wind. However, the orientation of the initial turning component of escape was altered and the duration of subsequent running was reduced. Preliminary physiological study suggests that changes in the orientation of escape reflect changes in the integration of wind-sensory signals by thoracic circuitry. These findings imply that rostral centers influence sensorimotor integration underlying wind-evoked escape.