New study sheds light on how motor control develops

by Bernard Rizk, University of Ottawa

edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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If you've ever watched a baby try to grab a toy, you know how awkward those first movements can be. Scientists at the University of Ottawa have taken a big step in identifying the neural changes behind motor control by observing zebrafish go from clumsy swimmers to graceful gliders.

Follow the current

A study led by Stephanie Gaudreau, a postdoctoral researcher at CHEO Research Institute and the University of Ottawa who completed a Ph.D. in biology and worked in Professor Tuan Bui's lab, investigates how young zebrafish fine-tune their movements as they grow. Their work, published across three peer-reviewed journals, traces the electrical changes inside nerve cells that help a wiggling larva transform into a coordinated swimmer. The findings are published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

The key players are motoneurons: cells that connect the nervous system to muscles and kick-start movement. As zebrafish mature, Bui's team found, the electrical currents inside these motoneurons shift in distinct and predictable ways. It's these shifts that seem to let the fish swap wild, jerky motions for smoother, more controlled ones.

"We show that the refinement of movement in growing zebrafish hinges on changes in ion currents that shape how motoneurons work," explains Tuan Bui, full professor and chair of the biology department at uOttawa. "We identified that certain currents evolve in very particular ways during development, letting the motoneurons adjust as the animals get better at moving."

Gaudreau spent years in Bui's lab using a technique called electrophysiology to record the electrical activity of individual nerve cells in zebrafish at different ages. By timing their measurements to the fish's developmental milestones, when the larvae started showing off new, more controlled moves, the team could link changes in the electrical currents directly to improvements in movement.

"These results came from experiments where we recorded individual ion currents from specific motoneurons in zebrafish as they developed," Gaudreau says. "By mapping out these shifts, we could see how changes inside the nerve cells matched up with the fish getting better at swimming."

From fish to humans: Understanding how movement develops

In their first few days of life, zebrafish quickly learn to move in new and more coordinated ways. Their early, rapid movements are gradually joined by slower, smoother swimming as new motor neurons develop. Researchers found that changes in specific electrical currents within these nerve cells help shape this transition, offering new insight into how the nervous system develops the ability to control movement.

"Because so many neural mechanisms are shared across species, our work could help explain how humans get better at moving after birth," Bui concludes. "It may even help us pinpoint which ion currents are most important for movement and how they do their job."

Publication details

Stephanie F. Gaudreau et al, Developmental Changes to the M-Current Shape the Direction of Its Neuromodulation in Zebrafish Motoneurons, Journal of Neuroscience (2026). DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0420-26.2026

Journal information: Journal of Neuroscience

Key medical concepts

Motor NeuronsZebrafishElectrophysiology

Clinical categories

Neurology Provided by University of Ottawa Who's behind this story?

Gaby Clark

MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content. Dedicated to trustworthy science news. Full profile →

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