Rethinking central pattern generators: A general approach

Central pattern generators (CPGs) have traditionally been modeled as sets of coupled bistable oscillators (Marder and Calabrese, Physiol. Rev. 76(3) (1996) 687}717). We present a framework for constructing models which avoid the shortcomings of these traditional models, while remaining biologically plausible. We demonstrate our approach by generating a novel model of lamprey locomotion. However, we suggest that the methods presented here can be more generally applied to modeling any neural system which produces and controls dynamic patterns of forces. ( 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.