Environmental Barriers Disrupt Grid-like Representations in Humans during Navigation

Current Biology : CB
Qiliang He, Thackery I Brown

Abstract

Environmental barriers fundamentally shape our behavior and conceptualization of space [1-5]. Evidence from rodents suggests that, in contrast to an open-field environment, where grid cells exhibit firing patterns with a 6-fold rotational symmetry [5, 6], barriers within the field abolish the 6-fold symmetry and fragment the grid firing fields into compartmentalized repeating "submaps" [5]. These results suggest that barriers may exert their influence on the cognitive map through organization of the metric representation of space provided by entorhinal neurons. We directly tested this hypothesis in humans, combining functional MRI with a virtual navigation paradigm in which we manipulated the local barrier structure. When participants performed a fixed-route foraging task in an open field, the functional MRI signal in right entorhinal cortex exhibited a 6-fold periodic modulation by movement direction associated with conjunctive grid cell firing [7]. However, when environments were compartmentalized by barriers, the grid-like 6-fold spatial metric was abolished. Instead, a 4-fold modulation of the entorhinal signal was observed, consistent with a vectorized organization of spatial metrics predicted by rodent models of navigatio...Continue Reading

Citations

Sep 18, 2020·Hippocampus·Alexandra T KeinathRussell A Epstein
Apr 17, 2021·Nature Neuroscience·Joshua B Julian, Christian F Doeller
Aug 18, 2021·Nature Communications·Payam Piray, Nathaniel D Daw
Sep 3, 2021·Current Biology : CB·Michael Peer, Russell A Epstein

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Current Biology : CB
Aidan J HornerNeil Burgess
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Shachar MaidenbaumJoshua Jacobs
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
Niklas WilmingElizabeth A Buffalo
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved