Sensory pathways and their modulation in the control of locomotion

Recent experiments have extended our understanding of how sensory information in premotor networks controlling motor output is processed during locomotion, and at what level the efficacy of specific sensory-motor pathways is determined. Phasic presynaptic inhibition of sensory transmission combined with postsynaptic alterations of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission from interneurons of the premotor networks contribute to the modulation of reflex pathways and to the generation of reflex reversal. These mechanisms play an important role in adapting the operation of central networks to external demands and thus help optimize sensory-motor integration.