Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Moore JD
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4159559 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Moore Jeffrey D JD Deschênes Martin M Furuta Takahiro T Huber Daniel D Smear Matthew C MC Demers Maxime M Kleinfeld David D
Nature 20130428 7448
Whisking and sniffing are predominant aspects of exploratory behaviour in rodents. Yet the neural mechanisms that generate and coordinate these and other orofacial motor patterns remain largely uncharacterized. Here we use anatomical, behavioural, electrophysiological and pharmacological tools to show that whisking and sniffing are coordinated by respiratory centres in the ventral medulla. We delineate a distinct region in the ventral medulla that provides rhythmic input to the facial motor neur ...[more]