Journal
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
Volume 34, Issue 38, Pages 12690-12700Publisher
SOC NEUROSCIENCE
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1855-14.2014
Keywords
efficient control; gain control; neuromodulation; pharmacology; serotonin; spinal cord
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [31371020, 31328010, 61005082, J1103602, 61020106005]
- Beijing Nova Program [Z141101001814001]
- National High Technology Research and Development Program of China 863 Program [2012AA011602]
- National Institutes of Health [R01NS063399, P01NS044393, R01NS034382]
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A fundamental challenge for the nervous system is to encode signals spanning many orders of magnitude with neurons of limited bandwidth. To meet this challenge, perceptual systems use gain control. However, whether the motor system uses an analogous mechanism is essentially unknown. Neuromodulators, such as serotonin, are prime candidates for gain control signals during force production. Serotonergic neurons project diffusely to motor pools, and, therefore, force production by one muscle should change the gain of others. Here we present behavioral and pharmaceutical evidence that serotonin modulates the input-output gain of motoneurons in humans. By selectively changing the efficacy of serotonin with drugs, we systematically modulated the amplitude of spinal reflexes. More importantly, force production in different limbs interacts systematically, as predicted by a spinal gain control mechanism. Psychophysics and pharmacology suggest that the motor system adopts gain control mechanisms, and serotonin is a primary driver for their implementation in force production.
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