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Locomotion Elicited by Electrical Stimulation in the Midbrain of the Lizard Gekko gecko

Locomotor behaviors evoked by stimulating the midbrain were studied in anesthetized and freely moving, awaking lizard Gekko gecko. Twenty Gekko gecko males were used in the anesthetized brain stimulation experiments; twenty were for microelectrode implantation. In the acute studies, four locomotor modes (lateral curvature of vertebral column, ‘s’ shape curvature of vertebral column, limbs moving and walking or crawling manner, phonation reaction) were elicited successfully by normal electrical stimulation in anesthetized gekkos. The research show most effective points of stimulation for induced locomotion were located at the midbrain tegmentum. In the awake experiment, electrical stimulation was delivered through implanted electrode of certain regions (the regions were decided by the results of the acute experiments) of the midbrain in 20 gekkos. Locomotor modes, such as right and left turn , even the combined locomotion (going forward then turning around ) was were successfully elicited. Results suggested that it is possible to carry out artificial induction on Gekko gecko through electrical stimulation on the related nuclus in their brain.Locomotor behaviors evoked by stimulating the midbrain were studied in anesthetized and freely moving, awaking lizard Gekko gecko. Twenty Gekko gecko males were used in the anesthetized brain stimulation experiments; twenty were for microelectrode implantation. In the acute studies, four locomotor modes (lateral curvature of vertebral column, ‘s’ shape curvature of vertebral column, limbs moving and walking or crawling manner, phonation reaction) were elicited successfully by normal electrical stimulation in anesthetized gekkos. The research show most effective points of stimulation for induced locomotion were located at the midbrain tegmentum. In the awake experiment, electrical stimulation was delivered through implanted electrode of certain regions (the regions were decided by the results of the acute experiments) of the midbrain in 20 gekkos. Locomotor modes, such as right and left turn , even the combined locomotion (going forward then turning around ) was were successfully elicited. Results suggested that it is possible to carry out artificial induction on Gekko gecko through electrical stimulation on the related nuclus in their brain.