Changes in intra- and interlimb reflexes from hindlimb cutaneous afferents after staggered thoracic lateral hemisections during locomotion in cats.

Cutaneous afferent inputs coordinate muscle activity in the four limbs during locomotion when the foot dorsum contacts an obstacle.Thoracic spinal cord injury disrupts communication between spinal locomotor centers located at cervical and lumbar levels, impairing balance and limb coordination.We investigated cutaneous reflexes during quadrupedal locomotion by electrically stimulating the superficial peroneal nerve bilaterally, before and after staggered lateral thoracic hemisections of the spinal cord in cats.We showed a loss/reduction of mid- and long-latency responses in all four limbs after staggered hemisections, which correlated with altered coordination of the fore- and hindlimbs and impaired balance.Targeting cutaneous reflex pathways projecting to the four limbs could help develop therapeutic approaches aimed at restoring transmission in ascending and descending spinal pathways.