Abstract Spinal reflexes were long considered hard wired, essentially unchanging inputoutput relationships. Work over the past 40 years has shown that the spinal reflex circuits are continually undergoing functional and structural changes that impact pain (nociception), locomotor patterns, sensory information control, and more. Spinal circuits support some basic forms of learning, including habituation, sensitization, Pavlovian conditioning and instrumental conditioning. Spinal learning is built upon biologically prepared pathways and is often driven by pain (nociceptive) input. Recent research has begun to uncover the neurobiological mechanisms involved. This work has implications for the development and treatment of chronic pain and for rehabilitation after spinal cord injury.
