Quadrupedal nature of arm and leg coupling during rhythmic human locomotion

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While the brain is the body's command centre, connections within the spinal cord regulate rhythmic activities like walking. The brain contributes to such movements, but spinal cord circuits can coordinate muscle activity on their own, relying on feedback from moving limbs to regulate the pattern.****Although we humans are bipeds and walk on two legs it has been suggested that we use quadrupedal coordination during walking. Recently, the issue of coordination between the arms and between the arms and legs of humans during walking has been addressed by my research.****The overall picture suggests that control mechanisms very similar to those found in other animals contribute to the pattern of rhythmic arm and leg movement seen during human walking.****The focus of my research is on understanding the specific way in which the nervous system coordinates the arms and legs during rhythmic movement tasks like walking, running, and swimming. ****Eventually, new knowledge gained from this research may lead to more effective methods of improving motor coordination following brain or spinal cord injury. ****