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How the Arms Help the Legs Get Better at Walking After Stroke

- Gregory E. P. Pearcey, E. Paul Zehr and

It is very common for people to think that the brain controls all of the movements that we make. When we think about moving, signals travel from the brain travel down to the spinal cord through nerves (almost like telephone wires). The spinal cord acts like a freeway with many exits in both directions. In one direction, information from the senses travels to the brain, and in the other direction, signals are carried from the brain to control the muscles. The actions of these muscles are what cause the arms and legs to move. However, the brain is not always required to cause movement. By examining animals, scientists discovered that complex groups of cells within the spinal cord can control walking. It turns out that the main job of controlling walking is done by the spinal cord, and not the brain.

License information: nan
MPAA: G
Go to source: https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2019.00030

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