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MEL's picture

Central Pattern Generation

 

I think central pattern generation and corollary discharge help to bridge the gap between neurons and behavior. Now it’s easier to understand how we perform common daily activities so easily and effortlessly. I am confused about how exactly these central pattern generators are formed and how they adapt to new situations. Although I repeatedly perform daily activities, I never do them in exactly the same way. Do central pattern generators create the action in its most basic form and then other neuronal pathways tweak the output?

I found our discussion about innate central pattern generation very interesting. I can understand why humans are born with a central pattern generator for walking. If a baby is born without a central pattern generator for walking then will he/she ever learn to walk? Can the baby form a central pattern generator after birth? In this case, will the baby ever be able to walk as well as other babies? I am also wondering, if a person is born with an innate central pattern generator what happens if that person never uses that central pattern generator? Can a person lose a central pattern generator due to disuse?      

 

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