Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (569 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Movement or the ability to move from one place or another. It can refer to humans, vertebrate or invertebrate animals, and microorganisms.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Locomotor Activity; Activities, Locomotor; Activity, Locomotor; Locomotor Activities.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Movement
- Narrower topics
- Cell Movement; Taxis Response; Flight, Animal; Running; Swimming; Walking
- See also
- Gait
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 337,952 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Locomotion” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 84,696 of them (25.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 133,099 records.
Reviews account for 23,140 records (6.8%) and meta-analyses for 1,512. Randomized controlled trials number 9,795 (2.9%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 55,303 |
| 2000-2009 | 64,854 |
| 2010-2019 | 133,099 |
| 2020 onward | 84,696 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 23,140 | 6.8% |
| Meta-analyses | 1,512 | 0.4% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 9,795 | 2.9% |
Method: PubMed query "Locomotion"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The motor pattern of rolling escape locomotion in Drosophila larvae | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 7 | cc by PMID 42677474 · DOI · PMC13615696 |
| A behavioral architecture for realistic simulations of Drosophila larva locomotion and foraging | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 3 | cc by PMID 42605607 · DOI · PMC13480992 |
| CX3CR1 Modulates Migration of Resident Microglia Towards Cortical Laser-Induced Lesions | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42601841 · DOI · PMC13476746 |
The motor pattern of rolling escape locomotion in Drosophila larvae [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- When undisturbed, Drosophila larvae move forward through their environment with sweeping waves of caudal to rostral muscle contractions.
- Closing excerpt
- Finally, an analysis of the connectivity of inputs to larval motor neurons revealed a ring-like network architecture that could support the sequence of activation of the rolling motor pattern.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (249 words)
When undisturbed, Drosophila larvae move forward through their environment with sweeping waves of caudal to rostral muscle contractions. In stark contrast, nociceptive sensory stimuli trigger the larvae to roll across the substrate by corkscrewing around the long body axis. Here, we have determined the detailed timing of muscle activation that generates the body rotation across abdominal segments. To do so, we developed a high-speed confocal time-lapse imaging preparation that allowed us to trigger rolling with nociceptor optogenetics while simultaneously imaging a genetically encoded calcium sensor expressed in the muscles. Of the 30 muscles present in each larval abdominal hemisegment, we found that only 11 muscles are consistently and specifically activated across segments during rolling. Eight additional muscles are more sparsely activated. Importantly, the sequential pattern of muscle recruitment during rolling is completely distinct from that of forward or reverse crawling. A roll involves a wave of muscle activation that propagates around the larval circumference (in the transverse plane of each segment) and involves four co-active muscle groups. A pattern of activation progresses from co-active ventral muscle groups to dorsal groups and then spreads across the midline to the contralateral dorsal muscle groups, then progresses back to the ventral groups. The direction of a roll is determined by the clockwise or counterclockwise order of muscle group activation around the transverse plane. Finally, an analysis of the connectivity of inputs to larval motor neurons revealed a ring-like network architecture that could support the sequence of activation of the rolling motor pattern.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42677474 · DOI · PMC13615696
A behavioral architecture for realistic simulations of Drosophila larva locomotion and foraging [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The Drosophila larva is extensively used as a model organism in neuroethological studies where precise behavioral tracking enables the statistical analysis of individual and population-level behavioral metrics that can inform mathematical models of larval behavior.
- Closing excerpt
- Our behavioral architecture is ideally suited for the modular combination of neuromechanical, neural, or mere statistical model components, facilitating their evaluation, comparison, extension, and integration into multifunctional control architectures.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (165 words)
The Drosophila larva is extensively used as a model organism in neuroethological studies where precise behavioral tracking enables the statistical analysis of individual and population-level behavioral metrics that can inform mathematical models of larval behavior. Here, we propose a hierarchical model architecture comprising three layers to facilitate modular model construction, closed-loop simulations, and direct comparisons between empirical and simulated data. At the motor layer, the autonomous locomotory model is capable of performing exploration. Based on novel kinematic analyses, our model features intermittent forward crawling that is phasically coupled to lateral bending. At the second layer, navigation is achieved via active sensing in a simulated environment, and top-down modulation of locomotion. At the top layer, behavioral adaptation entails associative learning. We evaluate virtual larval behavior across agent-based simulations of autonomous free exploration, chemotaxis, and odor preference testing. Our behavioral architecture is ideally suited for the modular combination of neuromechanical, neural, or mere statistical model components, facilitating their evaluation, comparison, extension, and integration into multifunctional control architectures.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42605607 · DOI · PMC13480992
CX3CR1 Modulates Migration of Resident Microglia Towards Cortical Laser-Induced Lesions [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Microglia are innate immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS).
- Closing excerpt
- Manipulating microglia migration via the CX3CR1 signaling axis is therefore a potential target for the treatment of CNS injury.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (155 words)
Microglia are innate immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). They extend their processes and migrate toward injuries in vivo. However, how the fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1) influences microglial migration remains unknown. Label-free proteomic profiling predicted changes in Ras homology family (RHO)-signaling activity that hint at dysregulated cytoskeleton signaling in Cx3cr1-deficient murine cortex tissue. To further investigate microglial migration, we carried out two-photon in vivo imaging at 4-h intervals for 72 h after a laser lesion in the cortex. Cx3cr1-deficient microglia showed enhanced migration toward the lesion. Additionally, the length and velocity of microglial fine processes extending toward the lesion were increased in Cx3cr1-deficient microglia. Migration remained unchanged in Ccr2-deficient mice, indicating that monocyte-derived macrophages/microglia did not contribute to microglia accumulation around the lesion. These results demonstrate that CX3CR1 modulates microglia migration toward laser-induced CNS injury. Manipulating microglia migration via the CX3CR1 signaling axis is therefore a potential target for the treatment of CNS injury.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42601841 · DOI · PMC13476746
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts [4]
- Research article Effects of walking speed on gait biomechanics in healthy participants: a systematic review and meta-analysis [5]
- Research article The neighbourhood physical environment and active travel in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Physical fitness training for stroke patients [7]
- Research article Effect of rhythmic auditory cueing on parkinsonian gait: A systematic review and meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Built environment and cardio-metabolic health: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies [9]
References
- He L, Borjon LJ, Tracey WD. The motor pattern of rolling escape locomotion in Drosophila larvae. . 2026. PMID 42677474 · DOI · PMC13615696
- Sakagiannis PP, Jürgensen AM, Nawrot MP. A behavioral architecture for realistic simulations of Drosophila larva locomotion and foraging. . 2026. PMID 42605607 · DOI · PMC13480992
- Wagner J, Antony H, Hoyer C, Lundgrén K, Soliymani R, Crux S, et al.. CX3CR1 Modulates Migration of Resident Microglia Towards Cortical Laser-Induced Lesions. . 2026. PMID 42601841 · DOI · PMC13476746
- Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Bassett DR, Carnethon MR, Ekelund U, Evenson KR, et al.. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health. 2022. PMID 35247352 · DOI · PMC9289978
- Fukuchi CA, Fukuchi RK, Duarte M. Effects of walking speed on gait biomechanics in healthy participants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Syst Rev. 2019. PMID 31248456 · DOI · PMC6595586
- Cerin E, Nathan A, van Cauwenberg J, Barnett DW, Barnett A, Council on Environment and Physical Activity (CEPA) – Older Adults working group. The neighbourhood physical environment and active travel in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017. PMID 28166790 · DOI · PMC5294838
- Saunders DH, Sanderson M, Hayes S, Johnson L, Kramer S, Carter DD, et al.. Physical fitness training for stroke patients. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020. PMID 32196635 · DOI · PMC7083515
- Ghai S, Ghai I, Schmitz G, Effenberg AO. Effect of rhythmic auditory cueing on parkinsonian gait: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2018. PMID 29323122 · DOI · PMC5764963
- Chandrabose M, Rachele JN, Gunn L, Kavanagh A, Owen N, Turrell G, et al.. Built environment and cardio-metabolic health: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Obes Rev. 2019. PMID 30253075 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.