Abstract
Potentially harmful stimuli are detected at the skin by nociceptor sensory neurons that drive rapid protective withdrawal reflexes. These protective responses act to quickly remove the affected limb from a source of danger, but without compromising balance and increasing further risk of harm. Here we set out to define the relationship between simplistic motor reflexes and feedback from postural systems. We hypothesise that specific connectivity exists between postural systems in the brain and nociceptive spinal cord neurons, that dynamically modulate the timing and nature of these reflexes to embed them within more complex protective behaviours.
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