Spatial and network principles behind neural generation of locomotion

Nature Communications, Published online: 15 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-74228-0 Neural mechanisms underlying rhythmic motor behaviors are not fully understood. Here authors propose a theory of how the nervous system generates and controls walking, which entails a spatial layout of spinal nerve cells that form longitudinal connectivity patterns of a ‘Mexican hat’, i.e. local excitation and long-range inhibition.