The Command Neuron

Abstract

Of the many important concepts that have stemmed from the prolific research of Professor C. A. G. Wiersma, perhaps the one that has had the greatest impact on comparative neurobiology is that of the "command" neuron. The term has a long history of application in the invertebrates (for recent reviews, see Bowerman and Larimer, 1976a; Davis, 1976; Kennedy and Davis, 1977) and has recently found its way into the mammalian literature (Grillner, 1975). As evidenced at this symposium, however, the concept has also stirred considerable debate. Given the importance of the topic and the incompleteness of existing data on such neurons, this debate is both inevitable and desirable. As I hope to show in this chapter, such debate can help to clarify our thinking on the subject of the command neuron and can also illuminate fruitful areas for future research.