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The Journal of Neuroscience, January 25, 2006, 26(4):1175-1178; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4458-05.2006

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Brief Communications
Long-Lasting Memories of Obstacles Guide Leg Movements in the Walking Cat

D. A. McVea and K. G. Pearson

Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. D. A. McVea, Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7. Email: dmcvea{at}ualberta.ca

We examined the ways in which memories of previously seen obstacles can alter the stepping of walking cats. Cats were paused after the forelegs, but not the hindlegs, had stepped over an obstacle. Near the beginning of a variable delay period, the obstacle was lowered. On the subsequent step, the path of the hindlegs allowed us to make inferences about whether the memory of the obstacle was influencing leg movements. We present two main findings. First, the memory of the obstacle persisted for the duration that the animal straddled the original location of the obstacle. In one instance, this interval was 10 min. Second, this memory includes information regarding the size and position of the obstacle relative to the animal. This information is used to plan foot placement and to redirect the step in mid-swing to avoid the previous position of the obstacle.

Key words: spatial memory; working memory; motor control; locomotion; vision; walking

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Received Oct. 18, 2005; revised Nov. 30, 2005; accepted Dec. 2, 2005.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. D. A. McVea, Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7. Email: dmcvea{at}ualberta.ca

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D.A. McVea and K.G. Pearson Contextual learning and obstacle memory in the walking cat Integr. Comp. Biol., October 1, 2007; 47(4): 457 - 464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Lajoie and T. Drew Lesions of Area 5 of the Posterior Parietal Cortex in the Cat Produce Errors in the Accuracy of Paw Placement During Visually Guided Locomotion J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2007; 97(3): 2339 - 2354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. McVea and K. G. Pearson Long-Lasting, Context-Dependent Modification of Stepping in the Cat After Repeated Stumbling-Corrective Responses J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2007; 97(1): 659 - 669. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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