1
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Sullivan MA, Fritch HA, Slotnick SD. Spatial memory encoding is associated with the anterior and posterior hippocampus: An fMRI activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Hippocampus 2024. [PMID: 39150234 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that differential processing occurs along the longitudinal (anterior-posterior) axis of the hippocampus. One hypothesis is that spatial memory (during both encoding and retrieval) is associated with the posterior hippocampus. An alternative hypothesis is that memory encoding (either spatial or nonspatial) is associated with the anterior hippocampus and memory retrieval is associated with the posterior hippocampus. Of importance, during spatial memory encoding, the spatial-posterior hypothesis predicts posterior hippocampal involvement, whereas the encoding-retrieval hypothesis predicts anterior hippocampal involvement. To distinguish between these hypotheses, we conducted a coordinate-based fMRI activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of 26 studies (with a total of 435 participants) that reported hippocampal activity during spatial memory encoding and/or spatial memory retrieval. Both spatial memory encoding and spatial memory retrieval produced extensive activity along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus as well as the entorhinal cortex, the perirhinal cortex, and the parahippocampal cortex. Critically, the contrast of spatial memory encoding and spatial memory retrieval produced activations in both the anterior hippocampus and the posterior hippocampus. That spatial memory encoding produced activity in both the anterior and posterior hippocampus can be taken to reject strict forms of the spatial-posterior hypothesis, which stipulates that all forms of spatial memory produce activity in the posterior hippocampus, and the encoding-retrieval hypothesis, which stipulates that all forms of encoding versus retrieval produce activity in only the anterior hippocampus. Our results indicate that spatial memory encoding can involve the anterior hippocampus and the posterior hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline A Sullivan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Haley A Fritch
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Scott D Slotnick
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
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2
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Sulpizio V, Teghil A, Pitzalis S, Boccia M. Common and specific activations supporting optic flow processing and navigation as revealed by a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1021-1045. [PMID: 38592557 PMCID: PMC11147901 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02790-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Optic flow provides useful information in service of spatial navigation. However, whether brain networks supporting these two functions overlap is still unclear. Here we used Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) to assess the correspondence between brain correlates of optic flow processing and spatial navigation and their specific neural activations. Since computational and connectivity evidence suggests that visual input from optic flow provides information mainly during egocentric navigation, we further tested the correspondence between brain correlates of optic flow processing and that of both egocentric and allocentric navigation. Optic flow processing shared activation with egocentric (but not allocentric) navigation in the anterior precuneus, suggesting its role in providing information about self-motion, as derived from the analysis of optic flow, in service of egocentric navigation. We further documented that optic flow perception and navigation are partially segregated into two functional and anatomical networks, i.e., the dorsal and the ventromedial networks. Present results point to a dynamic interplay between the dorsal and ventral visual pathways aimed at coordinating visually guided navigation in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Sulpizio
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Department of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Alice Teghil
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Department of Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging, Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Pitzalis
- Department of Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging, Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome ''Foro Italico'', Rome, Italy
| | - Maddalena Boccia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging, Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy.
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3
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Bogler C, Zangrossi A, Miller C, Sartori G, Haynes J. Have you been there before? Decoding recognition of spatial scenes from fMRI signals in precuneus. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26690. [PMID: 38703117 PMCID: PMC11069338 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
One potential application of forensic "brain reading" is to test whether a suspect has previously experienced a crime scene. Here, we investigated whether it is possible to decode real life autobiographic exposure to spatial locations using fMRI. In the first session, participants visited four out of eight possible rooms on a university campus. During a subsequent scanning session, subjects passively viewed pictures and videos from these eight possible rooms (four old, four novel) without giving any responses. A multivariate searchlight analysis was employed that trained a classifier to distinguish between "seen" versus "unseen" stimuli from a subset of six rooms. We found that bilateral precuneus encoded information that can be used to distinguish between previously seen and unseen rooms and that also generalized to the two stimuli left out from training. We conclude that activity in bilateral precuneus is associated with the memory of previously visited rooms, irrespective of the identity of the room, thus supporting a parietal contribution to episodic memory for spatial locations. Importantly, we could decode whether a room was visited in real life without the need of explicit judgments about the rooms. This suggests that recognition is an automatic response that can be decoded from fMRI data, thus potentially supporting forensic applications of concealed information tests for crime scene recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Bogler
- Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceCharité‐Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Andrea Zangrossi
- Department of General PsychologyUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC)University of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Chantal Miller
- Berlin School of Mind and BrainHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | | | - John‐Dylan Haynes
- Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceCharité‐Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Berlin School of Mind and BrainHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Max Planck School of CognitionLeipzigGermany
- Berlin Center for Advanced NeuroimagingCharité‐Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Clinic of NeurologyCharité‐Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Institute of PsychologyHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Cluster of Excellence “Science of Intelligence”Berlin Institute of TechnologyBerlinGermany
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4
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Yanakieva S, Frost BE, Amin E, Nelson AJD, Aggleton JP. Disrupting direct inputs from the dorsal subiculum to the granular retrosplenial cortex impairs flexible spatial memory in the rat. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2715-2731. [PMID: 38494604 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
In a changing environment, animals must process spatial signals in a flexible manner. The rat hippocampal formation projects directly upon the retrosplenial cortex, with most inputs arising from the dorsal subiculum and terminating in the granular retrosplenial cortex (area 29). The present study examined whether these same projections are required for spatial working memory and what happens when available spatial cues are altered. Consequently, injections of iDREADDs were made into the dorsal subiculum of rats. In a separate control group, GFP-expressing adeno-associated virus was injected into the dorsal subiculum. Both groups received intracerebral infusions within the retrosplenial cortex of clozapine, which in the iDREADDs rats should selectively disrupt the subiculum to retrosplenial projections. When tested on reinforced T-maze alternation, disruption of the subiculum to retrosplenial projections had no evident effect on the performance of those alternation trials when all spatial-cue types remained present and unchanged. However, the same iDREADDs manipulation impaired performance on all three alternation conditions when there was a conflict or selective removal of spatial cues. These findings reveal how the direct projections from the dorsal subiculum to the retrosplenial cortex support the flexible integration of different spatial cue types, helping the animal to adopt the spatial strategy that best meets current environmental demands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eman Amin
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Wales, UK
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5
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Latgé-Tovar S, Bertrand E, Piolino P, Mograbi DC. The use of virtual reality as a perspective-taking manipulation to improve self-awareness in Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1376413. [PMID: 38725536 PMCID: PMC11079167 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1376413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Lack of awareness of symptoms or having a condition referred to as anosognosia is a common feature of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Previous literature on AD reported difficulties in evaluating self-abilities, often showing underestimation of limitations. There is increasing evidence that the perspective through which information is presented may moderate the performance appraisal and that anosognosia in AD might be a consequence of a deficit in assuming a third-person perspective. In this context, some studies showed that subjects may better recognize self-and other-difficulties when exposed to a third-person perspective. Considering the variety of approaches aiming to investigate the lack of awareness, there is still a scarcity of methods that provide great ecological validity and consider more than one facet of awareness, thus failing to offer more accurate evaluations of daily experiences. The present paper primarily addresses the theme of the multidimensional character of awareness of abilities in AD and the effect of perspective-taking on its trajectories. The focus turns to virtual reality as a promising tool for a greater evaluation of perspective-taking and self-awareness. Particularly, these systems offer the possibility to involve users in cognitive and sensorimotor tasks that simulate daily life conditions within immersive and realistic environments, and a great sense of embodiment. We propose that virtual reality might allow a great level of complexity, veracity, and safety that is needed for individuals with AD to behave according to their actual abilities and enable to explore the liaison between the subject's viewpoint, performance, and self-evaluation. In addition, we suggest promising clinical implications of virtual reality-based methods for individualized assessments, investigating specific impacts on subjects' life and possible improvements in their awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Latgé-Tovar
- Institute of Psychiatry - Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elodie Bertrand
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (LMC), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Pascale Piolino
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (LMC), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Daniel C. Mograbi
- Institute of Psychiatry - Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Institute of Psychiatry – Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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6
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Nghiem TAE, Lee B, Chao THH, Branigan NK, Mistry PK, Shih YYI, Menon V. Space wandering in the rodent default mode network. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315167121. [PMID: 38557177 PMCID: PMC11009630 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315167121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) is a large-scale brain network known to be suppressed during a wide range of cognitive tasks. However, our comprehension of its role in naturalistic and unconstrained behaviors has remained elusive because most research on the DMN has been conducted within the restrictive confines of MRI scanners. Here, we use multisite GCaMP (a genetically encoded calcium indicator) fiber photometry with simultaneous videography to probe DMN function in awake, freely exploring rats. We examined neural dynamics in three core DMN nodes-the retrosplenial cortex, cingulate cortex, and prelimbic cortex-as well as the anterior insula node of the salience network, and their association with the rats' spatial exploration behaviors. We found that DMN nodes displayed a hierarchical functional organization during spatial exploration, characterized by stronger coupling with each other than with the anterior insula. Crucially, these DMN nodes encoded the kinematics of spatial exploration, including linear and angular velocity. Additionally, we identified latent brain states that encoded distinct patterns of time-varying exploration behaviors and found that higher linear velocity was associated with enhanced DMN activity, heightened synchronization among DMN nodes, and increased anticorrelation between the DMN and anterior insula. Our findings highlight the involvement of the DMN in collectively and dynamically encoding spatial exploration in a real-world setting. Our findings challenge the notion that the DMN is primarily a "task-negative" network disengaged from the external world. By illuminating the DMN's role in naturalistic behaviors, our study underscores the importance of investigating brain network function in ecologically valid contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Byeongwook Lee
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA94304
| | - Tzu-Hao Harry Chao
- Center for Animal MRI, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
| | - Nicholas K. Branigan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA94304
| | - Percy K. Mistry
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA94304
| | - Yen-Yu Ian Shih
- Center for Animal MRI, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27514
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA94304
- Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA94304
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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7
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Chen X, Wei Z, Wolbers T. Repetition Suppression Reveals Cue-Specific Spatial Representations for Landmarks and Self-Motion Cues in the Human Retrosplenial Cortex. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0294-23.2024. [PMID: 38519127 PMCID: PMC11007318 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0294-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The efficient use of various spatial cues within a setting is crucial for successful navigation. Two fundamental forms of spatial navigation, landmark-based and self-motion-based, engage distinct cognitive mechanisms. The question of whether these modes invoke shared or separate spatial representations in the brain remains unresolved. While nonhuman animal studies have yielded inconsistent results, human investigation is limited. In our previous work (Chen et al., 2019), we introduced a novel spatial navigation paradigm utilizing ultra-high field fMRI to explore neural coding of positional information. We found that different entorhinal subregions in the right hemisphere encode positional information for landmarks and self-motion cues. The present study tested the generalizability of our previous finding with a modified navigation paradigm. Although we did not replicate our previous finding in the entorhinal cortex, we identified adaptation-based allocentric positional codes for both cue types in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), which were not confounded by the path to the spatial location. Crucially, the multi-voxel patterns of these spatial codes differed between the cue types, suggesting cue-specific positional coding. The parahippocampal cortex exhibited positional coding for self-motion cues, which was not dissociable from path length. Finally, the brain regions involved in successful navigation differed from our previous study, indicating overall distinct neural mechanisms recruited in our two studies. Taken together, the current findings demonstrate cue-specific allocentric positional coding in the human RSC in the same navigation task for the first time and that spatial representations in the brain are contingent on specific experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Chen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P.R. China
| | - Ziwei Wei
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P.R. China
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39106, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg 39106, Germany
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8
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Weisberg SM, Ebner NC, Seidler RD. Getting LOST: A conceptual framework for supporting and enhancing spatial navigation in aging. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2024; 15:e1669. [PMID: 37933623 PMCID: PMC10939954 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Spatial navigation is more difficult and effortful for older than younger individuals, a shift which occurs for a variety of neurological, physical, and cognitive reasons associated with aging. Despite a large body of evidence documenting age-related deficits in spatial navigation, comparatively less research addresses how to facilitate more effective navigation behavior for older adults. Since navigation challenges arise for a variety of reasons in old age, a one-size-fits-all solution is unlikely to work. Here, we introduce a framework for the variety of spatial navigation challenges faced in aging, which we call LOST-Location, Orientation, Spatial mapping, and Transit. The LOST framework builds on evidence from the cognitive neuroscience of spatial navigation, which reveals distinct components underpinning human wayfinding. We evaluate research on navigational aids-devices and depictions-which help people find their way around; and we reflect on how navigation aids solve (or fail to solve) specific wayfinding difficulties faced by older adults. In summary, we emphasize a bespoke approach to improving spatial navigation in aging, which focuses on tailoring navigation solutions to specific navigation challenges. Our hope is that by providing precise support to older navigators, navigation opportunities can facilitate independence and exploration, while minimizing the danger of becoming lost. We conclude by delineating critical knowledge gaps in how to improve older adults' spatial navigation capacities that the novel LOST framework could guide to address. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Development and Aging Neuroscience > Cognition Neuroscience > Behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M. Weisberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, 1225 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Natalie C. Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, 1225 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Institute on Aging, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Department of Physiology and Aging, University of Florida, 1345 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610-0274
| | - Rachael D. Seidler
- Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, University of Florida, 1864 Stadium Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, 1149 Newell Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Normal Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, 3009 SW Williston Rd. 1864 Stadium Rd., Gainesville, FL 32608
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9
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Shi Y, Yan J, Xu X, Qiu Z. Gating of Social Behavior by Inhibitory Inputs from Hippocampal CA1 to Retrosplenial Agranular Cortex. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-023-01172-0. [PMID: 38281278 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01172-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex has been implicated in processing sensory information and spatial learning, with abnormal neural activity reported in association with psychedelics and in mouse and non-human primate models of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The direct role of the retrosplenial cortex in regulating social behaviors remains unclear. In this work, we reveal that neural activity in the retrosplenial agranular cortex (RSA), a subregion of the retrosplenial cortex, is initially activated, then quickly suppressed upon social contact. This up-down phase of RSA neurons is crucial for normal social behaviors. Parvalbumin-positive GABAergic neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region were found to send inhibitory projections to the RSA. Blocking these CA1-RSA inhibitory inputs significantly impaired social behavior. Notably, enhancing the CA1-RSA inhibitory input rescued the social behavior defects in an ASD mouse model. This work suggests a neural mechanism for the salience processing of social behavior and identifies a potential target for ASD intervention using neural modulation approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Shi
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital & MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201699, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Jingjing Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Zilong Qiu
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital & MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201699, China.
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Clinical Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
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10
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Jin B, Gongwer MW, Ohanian L, Holden-Wingate L, Le B, Darmawan A, Nakayama Y, Rueda Mora SA, DeNardo LA. A developmental brain-wide screen identifies retrosplenial cortex as a key player in the emergence of persistent memory. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.07.574554. [PMID: 38260633 PMCID: PMC10802387 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.07.574554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Memories formed early in life are short-lived while those formed later persist. Recent work revealed that infant memories are stored in a latent state. But why they fail to be retrieved is poorly understood. Here we investigated brain-wide circuit mechanisms underlying infantile amnesia in mice. We performed a screen that combined activity-dependent neuronal tagging at different postnatal ages, tissue clearing and light sheet microscopy. We observed striking developmental transitions in the organization of fear memory networks and changes in the activity and functional connectivity of the retrosplenial cortex (RSP) that aligned with the emergence of persistent memory. 7 days after learning, chemogenetic reactivation of tagged RSP ensembles enhanced memory in adults but not in infants. But after 33 days, reactivating infant-tagged RSP ensembles recovered forgotten memories. These studies show that RSP ensembles store latent infant memories, reveal the time course of RSP functional maturation, and suggest that immature RSP functional networks contribute to infantile amnesia.
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11
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Brown A, Burles F, Iaria G, Einstein G, Moscovitch M. Sex and menstrual cycle influence human spatial navigation strategies and performance. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14953. [PMID: 37696837 PMCID: PMC10495464 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41153-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Which facets of human spatial navigation do sex and menstrual cycle influence? To answer this question, a cross-sectional online study of reproductive age women and men was conducted in which participants were asked to demonstrate and self-report their spatial navigation skills and strategies. Participants self-reported their sex and current menstrual phase [early follicular (EF), late follicular/periovulatory (PO), and mid/late luteal (ML)], and completed a series of questionnaires and tasks measuring self-reported navigation strategy use, topographical memory, cognitive map formation, face recognition, and path integration. We found that sex influenced self-reported use of cognitive map- and scene-based strategies, face recognition, and path integration. Menstrual phase moderated the influence of sex: compared to men, women had better face recognition and worse path integration, but only during the PO phase; PO women were also better at path integration in the presence of a landmark compared to EF + ML women and men. These findings provide evidence that human spatial navigation varies with the menstrual cycle and suggest that sensitivity of the entorhinal cortex and longitudinal axis of the hippocampus to differential hormonal effects may account for this variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana Brown
- Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada.
| | - Ford Burles
- Department of Psychology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Giuseppe Iaria
- Department of Psychology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Gillian Einstein
- Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy of Research and Education, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada
- Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Morris Moscovitch
- Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy of Research and Education, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada
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12
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Nghiem TAE, Lee B, Chao THH, Branigan NK, Mistry PK, Shih YYI, Menon V. Space wandering in the rodent default mode network. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.31.555793. [PMID: 37693501 PMCID: PMC10491169 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.31.555793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) is a large-scale brain network known to be suppressed during a wide range of cognitive tasks. However, our comprehension of its role in naturalistic and unconstrained behaviors has remained elusive because most research on the DMN has been conducted within the restrictive confines of MRI scanners. Here we use multisite GCaMP fiber photometry with simultaneous videography to probe DMN function in awake, freely exploring rats. We examined neural dynamics in three core DMN nodes- the retrosplenial cortex, cingulate cortex, and prelimbic cortex- as well as the anterior insula node of the salience network, and their association with the rats' spatial exploration behaviors. We found that DMN nodes displayed a hierarchical functional organization during spatial exploration, characterized by stronger coupling with each other than with the anterior insula. Crucially, these DMN nodes encoded the kinematics of spatial exploration, including linear and angular velocity. Additionally, we identified latent brain states that encoded distinct patterns of time-varying exploration behaviors and discovered that higher linear velocity was associated with enhanced DMN activity, heightened synchronization among DMN nodes, and increased anticorrelation between the DMN and anterior insula. Our findings highlight the involvement of the DMN in collectively and dynamically encoding spatial exploration in a real-world setting. Our findings challenge the notion that the DMN is primarily a "task-negative" network disengaged from the external world. By illuminating the DMN's role in naturalistic behaviors, our study underscores the importance of investigating brain network function in ecologically valid contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Byeongwook Lee
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Tzu-Hao Harry Chao
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | - Percy K. Mistry
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Yen-Yu Ian Shih
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
- Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University
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13
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Tomás DJ, Nascimento Alves P, Vânia Silva-Nunes M. Spatial orientation: A relationship with inferential memory. Brain Cogn 2023; 170:106059. [PMID: 37392702 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2023.106059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Two branches of the scientific literature have dominated our understanding of hippocampal function. One focuses on the support this structure offers to declarative memory, while the other views the hippocampus as a part of a system dedicated to spatial navigation. These two different visions can be reconciled in relational theory, which suggests that the hippocampus processes all kinds of associations and sequences of events. According to this, processing would be similar to a route calculation based on associations of spatial information acquired during navigation and the associative relationship established between memories without spatial content. In this paper, we present a behavioral study of healthy individuals to explore the performance of inferential memory tasks and spatial orientation tasks in a virtual environment. Inferential memory and spatial orientation task performances were positively correlated. However, after controlling for a non-inferential memory task, only the correlation between allocentric spatial orientation and inferential memory remained significant. These results provide support for the similarity between the two cognitive functions, lending credence to the relational theory of the hippocampus. Additionally, our behavioral findings are in line with the cognitive map theory, which suggests a potential association between the hippocampus and allocentric spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo João Tomás
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Institute of Health Sciences - Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Lisbon, Portugal; Escola Superior de Saúde Atlântica, Barcarena, Portugal.
| | - Pedro Nascimento Alves
- Laboratório de Estudos de Linguagem, Centro de Estudos Egas Moniz, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria Vânia Silva-Nunes
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Institute of Health Sciences - Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Lisbon, Portugal
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14
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Navratilova Z, Banerjee D, Muqolli F, Zhang J, Gandhi S, McNaughton B. Pattern Completion and Rate Remapping in Retrosplenial Cortex. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2736384. [PMID: 37090599 PMCID: PMC10120768 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2736384/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Principles governing the encoding, storage, and updating of memories in cortical networks are poorly understood. In retrosplenial cortex (RSC), cells respond to the animal's position as it navigates a real or virtual (VR) linear track. Position correlated cells (PCCs) in RSC require an intact hippocampus to form. To examine whether PCCs undergo pattern completion and remapping like hippocampal cells, neuronal activity in RSC or CA1 was recorded using two-photon calcium imaging in mice running on VR tracks. RSC and CA1 PCC activity underwent global and rate remapping depending on the degree of change to familiar environments. The formation of position correlated fields in both regions required stability across laps; however, once formed, PCCs became robust to object destabilization, indicating pattern completion of the previously formed memory. Thus, memory and remapping properties were conserved between RSC and CA1, suggesting that these functional properties are transmitted to cortex to support memory functions.
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15
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Sit KK, Goard MJ. Coregistration of heading to visual cues in retrosplenial cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1992. [PMID: 37031198 PMCID: PMC10082791 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37704-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatial cognition depends on an accurate representation of orientation within an environment. Head direction cells in distributed brain regions receive a range of sensory inputs, but visual input is particularly important for aligning their responses to environmental landmarks. To investigate how population-level heading responses are aligned to visual input, we recorded from retrosplenial cortex (RSC) of head-fixed mice in a moving environment using two-photon calcium imaging. We show that RSC neurons are tuned to the animal's relative orientation in the environment, even in the absence of head movement. Next, we found that RSC receives functionally distinct projections from visual and thalamic areas and contains several functional classes of neurons. While some functional classes mirror RSC inputs, a newly discovered class coregisters visual and thalamic signals. Finally, decoding analyses reveal unique contributions to heading from each class. Our results suggest an RSC circuit for anchoring heading representations to environmental visual landmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K Sit
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Michael J Goard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
- Neuroscience Research Institute University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
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16
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Alexander AS, Place R, Starrett MJ, Chrastil ER, Nitz DA. Rethinking retrosplenial cortex: Perspectives and predictions. Neuron 2023; 111:150-175. [PMID: 36460006 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The last decade has produced exciting new ideas about retrosplenial cortex (RSC) and its role in integrating diverse inputs. Here, we review the diversity in forms of spatial and directional tuning of RSC activity, temporal organization of RSC activity, and features of RSC interconnectivity with other brain structures. We find that RSC anatomy and dynamics are more consistent with roles in multiple sensorimotor and cognitive processes than with any isolated function. However, two more generalized categories of function may best characterize roles for RSC in complex cognitive processes: (1) shifting and relating perspectives for spatial cognition and (2) prediction and error correction for current sensory states with internal representations of the environment. Both functions likely take advantage of RSC's capacity to encode conjunctions among sensory, motor, and spatial mapping information streams. Together, these functions provide the scaffold for intelligent actions, such as navigation, perspective taking, interaction with others, and error detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Alexander
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ryan Place
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael J Starrett
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Chrastil
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Douglas A Nitz
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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17
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Yanakieva S, Mathiasen ML, Amin E, Nelson AJD, O'Mara SM, Aggleton JP. Collateral rostral thalamic projections to prelimbic, infralimbic, anterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortices in the rat brain. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5869-5887. [PMID: 36089888 PMCID: PMC9826051 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
As the functional properties of a cortical area partly reflect its thalamic inputs, the present study compared collateral projections arising from various rostral thalamic nuclei that terminate across prefrontal (including anterior cingulate) and retrosplenial areas in the rat brain. Two retrograde tracers, fast blue and cholera toxin B, were injected in pairs to different combinations of cortical areas. The research focused on the individual anterior thalamic nuclei, including the interanteromedial nucleus, nucleus reuniens and the laterodorsal nucleus. Of the principal anterior thalamic nuclei, only the anteromedial nucleus contained neurons reaching both the anterior cingulate cortex and adjacent cortical areas (prefrontal or retrosplenial), though the numbers were modest. For these same cortical pairings (medial prefrontal/anterior cingulate and anterior cingulate/retrosplenial), the interanteromedial nucleus and nucleus reuniens contained slightly higher proportions of bifurcating neurons (up to 11% of labelled cells). A contrasting picture was seen for collaterals reaching different areas within retrosplenial cortex. Here, the anterodorsal nucleus, typically provided the greatest proportion of bifurcating neurons (up to 15% of labelled cells). While individual neurons that terminate in different retrosplenial areas were also found in the other thalamic nuclei, they were infrequent. Consequently, these thalamo-cortical projections predominantly arise from separate populations of neurons with discrete cortical termination zones, consistent with the transmission of segregated information and influence. Overall, two contrasting medial-lateral patterns of collateral projections emerged, with more midline nuclei, for example, nucleus reuniens and the interoanteromedial nucleus innervating prefrontal areas, while more dorsal and lateral anterior thalamic collaterals innervated retrosplenial cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mathias L. Mathiasen
- School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityWalesUK
- Department of Veterinary and Animal SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
| | - Eman Amin
- School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityWalesUK
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18
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Bleau M, Paré S, Chebat DR, Kupers R, Nemargut JP, Ptito M. Neural substrates of spatial processing and navigation in blindness: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1010354. [PMID: 36340755 PMCID: PMC9630591 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1010354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though vision is considered the best suited sensory modality to acquire spatial information, blind individuals can form spatial representations to navigate and orient themselves efficiently in space. Consequently, many studies support the amodality hypothesis of spatial representations since sensory modalities other than vision contribute to the formation of spatial representations, independently of visual experience and imagery. However, given the high variability in abilities and deficits observed in blind populations, a clear consensus about the neural representations of space has yet to be established. To this end, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature on the neural correlates of spatial processing and navigation via sensory modalities other than vision, like touch and audition, in individuals with early and late onset blindness. An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis of the neuroimaging literature revealed that early blind individuals and sighted controls activate the same neural networks in the processing of non-visual spatial information and navigation, including the posterior parietal cortex, frontal eye fields, insula, and the hippocampal complex. Furthermore, blind individuals also recruit primary and associative occipital areas involved in visuo-spatial processing via cross-modal plasticity mechanisms. The scarcity of studies involving late blind individuals did not allow us to establish a clear consensus about the neural substrates of spatial representations in this specific population. In conclusion, the results of our analysis on neuroimaging studies involving early blind individuals support the amodality hypothesis of spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Bleau
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel Paré
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel-Robert Chebat
- Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (VCN Lab), Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Navigation and Accessibility Research Center of Ariel University (NARCA), Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Ron Kupers
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Institute of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Maurice Ptito
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Maurice Ptito,
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19
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Richmond LL, Sargent JQ, Zacks JM. Virtual navigation in healthy aging: Activation during learning and deactivation during retrieval predicts successful memory for spatial locations. Neuropsychologia 2022; 173:108298. [PMID: 35697090 PMCID: PMC10546223 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Spatial navigation and spatial memory are two important skills for independent living, and are known to be compromised with age. Here, we investigate the neural correlates of successful spatial memory in healthy older adults in order to learn more about the neural underpinnings of maintenance of navigation skill into old age. Healthy older adults watched a video shot by a person navigating a route and were asked to remember objects along the route and then attempted to remember object locations by virtually pointing to the location of hidden objects from several locations along the route. Brain activity during watching and pointing was recorded with functional MRI. Larger activations in temporal and frontal regions during watching, and larger deactivations in superior parietal cortex and intraparietal sulcus during pointing, were associated with smaller location errors. These findings suggest that larger evoked responses during learning of spatial information coupled with larger deactivation of canonical spatial memory regions at retrieval are important for effective spatial memory in late life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren L Richmond
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, USA; Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, USA.
| | | | - Jeffrey M Zacks
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, USA
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20
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Ramanoël S, Durteste M, Bizeul A, Ozier‐Lafontaine A, Bécu M, Sahel J, Habas C, Arleo A. Selective neural coding of object, feature, and geometry spatial cues in humans. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:5281-5295. [PMID: 35776524 PMCID: PMC9812241 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Orienting in space requires the processing of visual spatial cues. The dominant hypothesis about the brain structures mediating the coding of spatial cues stipulates the existence of a hippocampal-dependent system for the representation of geometry and a striatal-dependent system for the representation of landmarks. However, this dual-system hypothesis is based on paradigms that presented spatial cues conveying either conflicting or ambiguous spatial information and that used the term landmark to refer to both discrete three-dimensional objects and wall features. Here, we test the hypothesis of complex activation patterns in the hippocampus and the striatum during visual coding. We also postulate that object-based and feature-based navigation are not equivalent instances of landmark-based navigation. We examined how the neural networks associated with geometry-, object-, and feature-based spatial navigation compared with a control condition in a two-choice behavioral paradigm using fMRI. We showed that the hippocampus was involved in all three types of cue-based navigation, whereas the striatum was more strongly recruited in the presence of geometric cues than object or feature cues. We also found that unique, specific neural signatures were associated with each spatial cue. Object-based navigation elicited a widespread pattern of activity in temporal and occipital regions relative to feature-based navigation. These findings extend the current view of a dual, juxtaposed hippocampal-striatal system for visual spatial coding in humans. They also provide novel insights into the neural networks mediating object versus feature spatial coding, suggesting a need to distinguish these two types of landmarks in the context of human navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Ramanoël
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la VisionParisFrance,Université Côte d'Azur, LAMHESSNiceFrance
| | - Marion Durteste
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la VisionParisFrance
| | - Alice Bizeul
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la VisionParisFrance
| | | | - Marcia Bécu
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la VisionParisFrance
| | - José‐Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la VisionParisFrance,CHNO des Quinze‐Vingts, INSERM‐DGOS CIC 1423ParisFrance,Fondation Ophtalmologique RothschildParisFrance,Department of OphtalmologyThe University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Christophe Habas
- CHNO des Quinze‐Vingts, INSERM‐DGOS CIC 1423ParisFrance,Université Versailles St Quentin en YvelineParisFrance
| | - Angelo Arleo
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la VisionParisFrance
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21
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Moon HJ, Gauthier B, Park HD, Faivre N, Blanke O. Sense of self impacts spatial navigation and hexadirectional coding in human entorhinal cortex. Commun Biol 2022; 5:406. [PMID: 35501331 PMCID: PMC9061856 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03361-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Grid cells in entorhinal cortex (EC) encode an individual's location in space and rely on environmental cues and self-motion cues derived from the individual's body. Body-derived signals are also primary signals for the sense of self and based on integrated sensorimotor signals (proprioceptive, tactile, visual, motor) that have been shown to enhance self-centered processing. However, it is currently unknown whether such sensorimotor signals that modulate self-centered processing impact grid cells and spatial navigation. Integrating the online manipulation of bodily signals, to modulate self-centered processing, with a spatial navigation task and an fMRI measure to detect grid cell-like representation (GCLR) in humans, we report improved performance in spatial navigation and decreased GCLR in EC. This decrease in entorhinal GCLR was associated with an increase in retrosplenial cortex activity, which was correlated with participants' navigation performance. These data link self-centered processes during spatial navigation to entorhinal and retrosplenial activity and highlight the role of different bodily factors at play when navigating in VR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuk-June Moon
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Bionics, Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Baptiste Gauthier
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hyeong-Dong Park
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, Shuang-Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Nathan Faivre
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,University Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
| | - Olaf Blanke
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland. .,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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22
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Tullo MG, Almgren H, Van de Steen F, Sulpizio V, Marinazzo D, Galati G. Individual differences in mental imagery modulate effective connectivity of scene-selective regions during resting state. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1831-1842. [PMID: 35312868 PMCID: PMC9098601 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02475-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Successful navigation relies on the ability to identify, perceive, and correctly process the spatial structure of a scene. It is well known that visual mental imagery plays a crucial role in navigation. Indeed, cortical regions encoding navigationally relevant information are also active during mental imagery of navigational scenes. However, it remains unknown whether their intrinsic activity and connectivity reflect the individuals' ability to imagine a scene. Here, we primarily investigated the intrinsic causal interactions among scene-selective brain regions such as Parahipoccampal Place Area (PPA), Retrosplenial Complex, and Occipital Place Area (OPA) using Dynamic Causal Modelling for resting-state functional magnetic resonance data. Second, we tested whether resting-state effective connectivity parameters among scene-selective regions could reflect individual differences in mental imagery in our sample, as assessed by the self-reported Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire. We found an inhibitory influence of occipito-medial on temporal regions, and an excitatory influence of more anterior on more medial and posterior brain regions. Moreover, we found that a key role in imagery is played by the connection strength from OPA to PPA, especially in the left hemisphere, since the influence of the signal between these scene-selective regions positively correlated with good mental imagery ability. Our investigation contributes to the understanding of the complexity of the causal interaction among brain regions involved in navigation and provides new insight in understanding how an essential ability, such as mental imagery, can be explained by the intrinsic fluctuation of brain signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Giulia Tullo
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Via Benevento, 6, 00161, Roma, RM, Italy. .,Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy. .,PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Hannes Almgren
- Department of Data Analysis, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Frederik Van de Steen
- Department of Data Analysis, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,AIMS, Center For Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Valentina Sulpizio
- Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Marinazzo
- Department of Data Analysis, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gaspare Galati
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Via Benevento, 6, 00161, Roma, RM, Italy.,Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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23
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Three cortical scene systems and their development. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:117-127. [PMID: 34857468 PMCID: PMC8770598 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Since the discovery of three scene-selective regions in the human brain, a central assumption has been that all three regions directly support navigation. We propose instead that cortical scene processing regions support three distinct computational goals (and one not for navigation at all): (i) The parahippocampal place area supports scene categorization, which involves recognizing the kind of place we are in; (ii) the occipital place area supports visually guided navigation, which involves finding our way through the immediately visible environment, avoiding boundaries and obstacles; and (iii) the retrosplenial complex supports map-based navigation, which involves finding our way from a specific place to some distant, out-of-sight place. We further hypothesize that these systems develop along different timelines, with both navigation systems developing slower than the scene categorization system.
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24
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Sodoma MJ, Cole RC, Sloan TJ, Hamilton CM, Kent JD, Magnotta VA, Voss MW. Hippocampal acidity and volume are differentially associated with spatial navigation in older adults. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118682. [PMID: 34728245 PMCID: PMC8867536 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is negatively affected by aging and is critical for spatial navigation. While there is evidence that wayfinding navigation tasks are especially sensitive to preclinical hippocampal deterioration, these studies have primarily used volumetric hippocampal imaging without considering microstructural properties or anatomical variation within the hippocampus. T1ρ is an MRI measure sensitive to regional pH, with longer relaxation rates reflecting acidosis as a marker of metabolic dysfunction and neuropathological burden. For the first time, we investigate how measures of wayfinding including landmark location learning and delayed memory in cognitively normal older adults (N = 84) relate to both hippocampal volume and T1ρ in the anterior and posterior hippocampus. Regression analyses revealed hippocampal volume was bilaterally related to learning, while right lateralized T1ρ was related to delayed landmark location memory and bilateral T1ρ was related to the delayed use of a cognitive map. Overall, results suggest hippocampal volume and T1ρ relaxation rate tap into distinct mechanisms involved in preclinical cognitive decline as assessed by wayfinding navigation, and laterality influenced these relationships more than the anterior-posterior longitudinal axis of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Sodoma
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
| | - Rachel C Cole
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Taylor J Sloan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Chase M Hamilton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - James D Kent
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712 USA
| | - Vincent A Magnotta
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, UCA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Pappajohn Biomedical Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Michelle W Voss
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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25
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Sun W, Choi I, Stoyanov S, Senkov O, Ponimaskin E, Winter Y, Pakan JMP, Dityatev A. Context value updating and multidimensional neuronal encoding in the retrosplenial cortex. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6045. [PMID: 34663792 PMCID: PMC8523535 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26301-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) has diverse functional inputs and is engaged by various sensory, spatial, and associative learning tasks. We examine how multiple functional aspects are integrated on the single-cell level in the RSC and how the encoding of task-related parameters changes across learning. Using a visuospatial context discrimination paradigm and two-photon calcium imaging in behaving mice, a large proportion of dysgranular RSC neurons was found to encode multiple task-related dimensions while forming context-value associations across learning. During reversal learning requiring increased cognitive flexibility, we revealed an increased proportion of multidimensional encoding neurons that showed higher decoding accuracy for behaviorally relevant context-value associations. Chemogenetic inactivation of RSC led to decreased behavioral context discrimination during learning phases in which context-value associations were formed, while recall of previously formed associations remained intact. RSC inactivation resulted in a persistent positive behavioral bias in valuing contexts, indicating a role for the RSC in context-value updating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weilun Sun
- grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426Molecular Neuroplasticity, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.418723.b0000 0001 2109 6265Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ilseob Choi
- grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426Molecular Neuroplasticity, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.418723.b0000 0001 2109 6265Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Stoyan Stoyanov
- grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426Molecular Neuroplasticity, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Oleg Senkov
- grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426Molecular Neuroplasticity, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Evgeni Ponimaskin
- grid.10423.340000 0000 9529 9877Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - York Winter
- grid.7468.d0000 0001 2248 7639Institute for Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Janelle M. P. Pakan
- grid.418723.b0000 0001 2109 6265Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Dityatev
- grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426Molecular Neuroplasticity, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.418723.b0000 0001 2109 6265Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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26
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Ellis CT, Skalaban LJ, Yates TS, Bejjanki VR, Córdova NI, Turk-Browne NB. Evidence of hippocampal learning in human infants. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3358-3364.e4. [PMID: 34022155 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus is essential for human memory.1 The protracted maturation of memory capacities from infancy through early childhood2-4 is thus often attributed to hippocampal immaturity.5-7 The hippocampus of human infants has been characterized in terms of anatomy,8,9 but its function has never been tested directly because of technical challenges.10,11 Here, we use recently developed methods for task-based fMRI in awake human infants12 to test the hypothesis that the infant hippocampus supports statistical learning.13-15 Hippocampal activity increased with exposure to visual sequences of objects when the temporal order contained regularities to be learned, compared to when the order was random. Despite the hippocampus doubling in anatomical volume across infancy, learning-related functional activity bore no relationship to age. This suggests that the hippocampus is recruited for statistical learning at the youngest ages in our sample, around 3 months. Within the hippocampus, statistical learning was clearer in anterior than posterior divisions. This is consistent with the theory that statistical learning occurs in the monosynaptic pathway,16 which is more strongly represented in the anterior hippocampus.17,18 The monosynaptic pathway develops earlier than the trisynaptic pathway, which is linked to episodic memory,19,20 raising the possibility that the infant hippocampus participates in statistical learning before it forms durable memories. Beyond the hippocampus, the medial prefrontal cortex showed statistical learning, consistent with its role in adult memory integration21 and generalization.22 These results suggest that the hippocampus supports the vital ability of infants to extract the structure of their environment through experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron T Ellis
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Lena J Skalaban
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Tristan S Yates
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Vikranth R Bejjanki
- Department of Psychology, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Road, Clinton, NY 13323, USA
| | - Natalia I Córdova
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Nicholas B Turk-Browne
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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27
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Suzuki S, Kamps FS, Dilks DD, Treadway MT. Two scene navigation systems dissociated by deliberate versus automatic processing. Cortex 2021; 140:199-209. [PMID: 33992908 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Successfully navigating the world requires avoiding boundaries and obstacles in one's immediately-visible environment, as well as finding one's way to distant places in the broader environment. Recent neuroimaging studies suggest that these two navigational processes involve distinct cortical scene processing systems, with the occipital place area (OPA) supporting navigation through the local visual environment, and the retrosplenial complex (RSC) supporting navigation through the broader spatial environment. Here we hypothesized that these systems are distinguished not only by the scene information they represent (i.e., the local visual versus broader spatial environment), but also based on the automaticity of the process they involve, with navigation through the broader environment (including RSC) operating deliberately, and navigation through the local visual environment (including OPA) operating automatically. We tested this hypothesis using fMRI and a maze-navigation paradigm, where participants navigated two maze structures (complex or simple, testing representation of the broader spatial environment) under two conditions (active or passive, testing deliberate versus automatic processing). Consistent with the hypothesis that RSC supports deliberate navigation through the broader environment, RSC responded significantly more to complex than simple mazes during active, but not passive navigation. By contrast, consistent with the hypothesis that OPA supports automatic navigation through the local visual environment, OPA responded strongly even during passive navigation, and did not differentiate between active versus passive conditions. Taken together, these findings suggest the novel hypothesis that navigation through the broader spatial environment is deliberate, whereas navigation through the local visual environment is automatic, shedding new light on the dissociable functions of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shosuke Suzuki
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Frederik S Kamps
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel D Dilks
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Michael T Treadway
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
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28
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Diersch N, Valdes-Herrera JP, Tempelmann C, Wolbers T. Increased Hippocampal Excitability and Altered Learning Dynamics Mediate Cognitive Mapping Deficits in Human Aging. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3204-3221. [PMID: 33648956 PMCID: PMC8026345 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0528-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning the spatial layout of a novel environment is associated with dynamic activity changes in the hippocampus and in medial parietal areas. With advancing age, the ability to learn spatial environments deteriorates substantially but the underlying neural mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we report findings from a behavioral and a fMRI experiment where healthy human older and younger adults of either sex performed a spatial learning task in a photorealistic virtual environment (VE). We modeled individual learning states using a Bayesian state-space model and found that activity in retrosplenial cortex (RSC)/parieto-occipital sulcus (POS) and anterior hippocampus did not change systematically as a function learning in older compared with younger adults across repeated episodes in the environment. Moreover, effective connectivity analyses revealed that the age-related learning deficits were linked to an increase in hippocampal excitability. Together, these results provide novel insights into how human aging affects computations in the brain's navigation system, highlighting the critical role of the hippocampus.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Key structures of the brain's navigation circuit are particularly vulnerable to the deleterious consequences of aging, and declines in spatial navigation are among the earliest indicators for a progression from healthy aging to neurodegenerative diseases. Our study is among the first to provide a mechanistic account about how physiological changes in the aging brain affect the formation of spatial knowledge. We show that neural activity in the aging hippocampus and medial parietal areas is decoupled from individual learning states across repeated episodes in a novel spatial environment. Importantly, we find that increased excitability of the anterior hippocampus might constitute a potential neural mechanism for cognitive mapping deficits in old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Diersch
- Aging and Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Jose P Valdes-Herrera
- Aging and Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Claus Tempelmann
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- Aging and Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Center for Behavioural Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
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29
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Delaux A, de Saint Aubert JB, Ramanoël S, Bécu M, Gehrke L, Klug M, Chavarriaga R, Sahel JA, Gramann K, Arleo A. Mobile brain/body imaging of landmark-based navigation with high-density EEG. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:8256-8282. [PMID: 33738880 PMCID: PMC9291975 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Coupling behavioral measures and brain imaging in naturalistic, ecological conditions is key to comprehend the neural bases of spatial navigation. This highly integrative function encompasses sensorimotor, cognitive, and executive processes that jointly mediate active exploration and spatial learning. However, most neuroimaging approaches in humans are based on static, motion‐constrained paradigms and they do not account for all these processes, in particular multisensory integration. Following the Mobile Brain/Body Imaging approach, we aimed to explore the cortical correlates of landmark‐based navigation in actively behaving young adults, solving a Y‐maze task in immersive virtual reality. EEG analysis identified a set of brain areas matching state‐of‐the‐art brain imaging literature of landmark‐based navigation. Spatial behavior in mobile conditions additionally involved sensorimotor areas related to motor execution and proprioception usually overlooked in static fMRI paradigms. Expectedly, we located a cortical source in or near the posterior cingulate, in line with the engagement of the retrosplenial complex in spatial reorientation. Consistent with its role in visuo‐spatial processing and coding, we observed an alpha‐power desynchronization while participants gathered visual information. We also hypothesized behavior‐dependent modulations of the cortical signal during navigation. Despite finding few differences between the encoding and retrieval phases of the task, we identified transient time–frequency patterns attributed, for instance, to attentional demand, as reflected in the alpha/gamma range, or memory workload in the delta/theta range. We confirmed that combining mobile high‐density EEG and biometric measures can help unravel the brain structures and the neural modulations subtending ecological landmark‐based navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Delaux
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | | | - Stephen Ramanoël
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Marcia Bécu
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Lukas Gehrke
- Institute of Psychology and Ergonomics, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marius Klug
- Institute of Psychology and Ergonomics, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ricardo Chavarriaga
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.,Zurich University of Applied Sciences, ZHAW Datalab, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France.,CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France.,Fondation Ophtalmologique Rothschild, Paris, France.,Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Klaus Gramann
- Institute of Psychology and Ergonomics, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angelo Arleo
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
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30
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Baumann O, Mattingley JB. Extrahippocampal contributions to spatial navigation in humans: A review of the neuroimaging evidence. Hippocampus 2021; 31:640-657. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Baumann
- School of Psychology Bond University Robina Queensland Australia
| | - Jason B. Mattingley
- Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
- School of Psychology The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Toronto Ontario Canada
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31
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Zajac L, Killiany R. Activity Strength within Optic Flow-Sensitive Cortical Regions Is Associated with Visual Path Integration Accuracy in Aged Adults. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11020245. [PMID: 33669177 PMCID: PMC7919670 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial navigation is a cognitive skill fundamental to successful interaction with our environment, and aging is associated with weaknesses in this skill. Identifying mechanisms underlying individual differences in navigation ability in aged adults is important to understanding these age-related weaknesses. One understudied factor involved in spatial navigation is self-motion perception. Important to self-motion perception is optic flow–the global pattern of visual motion experienced while moving through our environment. A set of optic flow-sensitive (OF-sensitive) cortical regions was defined in a group of young (n = 29) and aged (n = 22) adults. Brain activity was measured in this set of OF-sensitive regions and control regions using functional magnetic resonance imaging while participants performed visual path integration (VPI) and turn counting (TC) tasks. Aged adults had stronger activity in RMT+ during both tasks compared to young adults. Stronger activity in the OF-sensitive regions LMT+ and RpVIP during VPI, not TC, was associated with greater VPI accuracy in aged adults. The activity strength in these two OF-sensitive regions measured during VPI explained 42% of the variance in VPI task performance in aged adults. The results of this study provide novel support for global motion processing as a mechanism underlying visual path integration in normal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Zajac
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street (L 1004), Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston University School of Medicine, 650 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Ronald Killiany
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street (L 1004), Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston University School of Medicine, 650 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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32
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Tuena C, Mancuso V, Stramba-Badiale C, Pedroli E, Stramba-Badiale M, Riva G, Repetto C. Egocentric and Allocentric Spatial Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment with Real-World and Virtual Navigation Tasks: A Systematic Review. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 79:95-116. [PMID: 33216034 PMCID: PMC7902987 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spatial navigation is the ability to estimate one's position on the basis of environmental and self-motion cues. Spatial memory is the cognitive substrate underlying navigation and relies on two different reference frames: egocentric and allocentric. These spatial frames are prone to decline with aging and impairment is even more pronounced in Alzheimer's disease (AD) or in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of experimental studies investigating which MCI population and tasks are used to evaluate spatial memory and how allocentric and egocentric deficits are impaired in MCI after navigation. METHODS PRISMA and PICO guidelines were applied to carry out the systematic search. Down and Black checklist was used to assess methodological quality. RESULTS Our results showed that amnestic MCI and AD pathology are the most investigated typologies; both egocentric and allocentric memory are impaired in MCI individuals, and MCI due to AD biomarkers has specific encoding and retrieval impairments; secondly, spatial navigation is principally investigated with the hidden goal task (virtual and real-world version), and among studies involving virtual reality, the privileged setting consists of non-immersive technology; thirdly, despite subtle differences, real-world and virtual versions showed good overlap for the assessment of MCI spatial memory. CONCLUSION Considering that MCI is a subclinical entity with potential risk for conversion to dementia, investigating spatial memory deficits with navigation tasks might be crucial to make accurate diagnosis and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosimo Tuena
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Mancuso
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Stramba-Badiale
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Pedroli
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Faculty of Psychology, Universitá eCampus, Novedrate, Italy
| | - Marco Stramba-Badiale
- Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Repetto
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
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33
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Peer M, Brunec IK, Newcombe NS, Epstein RA. Structuring Knowledge with Cognitive Maps and Cognitive Graphs. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:37-54. [PMID: 33248898 PMCID: PMC7746605 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Humans and animals use mental representations of the spatial structure of the world to navigate. The classical view is that these representations take the form of Euclidean cognitive maps, but alternative theories suggest that they are cognitive graphs consisting of locations connected by paths. We review evidence suggesting that both map-like and graph-like representations exist in the mind/brain that rely on partially overlapping neural systems. Maps and graphs can operate simultaneously or separately, and they may be applied to both spatial and nonspatial knowledge. By providing structural frameworks for complex information, cognitive maps and cognitive graphs may provide fundamental organizing schemata that allow us to navigate in physical, social, and conceptual spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Peer
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Iva K Brunec
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Nora S Newcombe
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Russell A Epstein
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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34
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Rounds JD, Cruz-Garza JG, Kalantari S. Using Posterior EEG Theta Band to Assess the Effects of Architectural Designs on Landmark Recognition in an Urban Setting. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:584385. [PMID: 33362491 PMCID: PMC7759667 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.584385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The process of urban landmark-based navigation has proven to be difficult to study in a rigorous fashion, primarily due to confounding variables and the problem of obtaining reliable data in real-world contexts. The development of high-resolution, immersive virtual reality technologies has opened exciting new possibilities for gathering data on human wayfinding that could not otherwise be readily obtained. We developed a research platform using a virtual environment and electroencephalography (EEG) to better understand the neural processes associated with landmark usage and recognition during urban navigation tasks. By adjusting the architectural parameters of different buildings in this virtual environment, we isolated and tested specific design features to determine whether or not they served as a target for landmarking. EEG theta band (4-7 Hz) event-related synchronization/desynchronization over posterior scalp areas was evaluated at the time when participants observed each target building along a predetermined self-paced route. A multi-level linear model was used to investigate the effects of salient architectural features on posterior scalp areas. Our results support the conclusion that highly salient architectural features-those that contrast sharply with the surrounding environment-are more likely to attract visual attention, remain in short-term memory, and activate brain regions associated with wayfinding compared with non-salient buildings. After establishing this main aggregate effect, we evaluated specific salient architectural features and neural correlates of navigation processing. The buildings that most strongly associated extended gaze time, location recall accuracy, and changes in theta-band neural patterns with landmarking in our study were those that incorporated rotational twist designs and natural elements such as trees and gardens. Other building features, such as unusual façade patterns or building heights, were to a lesser extent also associated with landmarking.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D. Rounds
- Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | | | - Saleh Kalantari
- Department of Design and Environmental Analysis, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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35
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Faulmann I, Descloux V, Saj A, Maurer R. Neuroanatomic Correlates of Distance and Direction Processing During Cognitive Map Retrieval. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:130. [PMID: 33192354 PMCID: PMC7476633 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Navigating toward a goal and mentally comparing distances and directions to landmarks are processes requiring reading information off the memorized representation of the environment, that is, the cognitive map. Brain structures in the medial temporal lobe, in particular, are known to be involved in the learning, storage, and retrieval of cognitive map information, which is generally assumed to be in allocentric form, whereby pure spatial relations (i.e., distance and direction) connect locations with each other. The authors recorded functional magnetic resonance imaging activity, while participants were submitted to a variant of a neuropsychological test (the Cognitive Map Reading Test; CMRT) originally developed to evaluate the performance of brain-lesioned patients and in which participants have to compare distances and directions in their mental map of their hometown. Our main results indicated posterior parahippocampal, but not hippocampal, activity, consistent with a task involving spatial memory of places learned a long time ago; left parietal and left frontal activity, consistent with the distributed processing of navigational representations; and, unexpectedly, cerebellar activity, possibly related to the role of the cerebellum in the processing of (here, imaginary) self-motion cues. In addition, direction, but not distance, comparisons elicited significant activation in the posterior parahippocampal gyrus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Faulmann
- Frontiers Media SA, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Ecole Doctorale en Neurosciences Lémaniques, Université de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Descloux
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Fribourg Cantonal Hospital, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Arnaud Saj
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Département de Psychologie, Faculté des Arts et des Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,CRIR/Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille du CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre, Longueuil, QC, Canada
| | - Roland Maurer
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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36
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Chang DHF, Jiang B, Wong NHL, Wong JJ, Webster C, Lee TMC. The human posterior cingulate and the stress-response benefits of viewing green urban landscapes. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117555. [PMID: 33189933 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanistic and neural bases of why green environments drive positive mental health outcomes remain poorly understood. We show that viewing green urban landscapes that vary in terms of green-space density elicits corresponding changes in the activity of the human ventral posterior cingulate cortex that is correlated to behavioural stress-related responses. We further show that cingulate responses are engaged early in the processing cascade, influencing attentional and executive regions in a predominantly feedforward manner. Our data suggest a key role for this region in regulating (nature) dose-dependent changes in stress responses, potentially through its extensive connections to the prefrontal and hippocampal regions which in turn project towards the neuroendocrine system. As the posterior cingulate cortex is implicated in a variety of neurological diseases and disorders, these findings raise a therapeutic potential for natural environmental exposure, highlighting green-cover as a modifiable element that links to changes in limbic responses, and has health consequences for practitioners and city-planners alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorita H F Chang
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Bin Jiang
- Division of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Virtual Reality Lab of Urban Environments and Human Health, HKUrbanLabs, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Nicole H L Wong
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Jing Jun Wong
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Chris Webster
- HKUrbanLabs, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Tatia M C Lee
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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Ramanoël S, Durteste M, Bécu M, Habas C, Arleo A. Differential Brain Activity in Regions Linked to Visuospatial Processing During Landmark-Based Navigation in Young and Healthy Older Adults. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:552111. [PMID: 33240060 PMCID: PMC7668216 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.552111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Older adults have difficulties in navigating unfamiliar environments and updating their wayfinding behavior when faced with blocked routes. This decline in navigational capabilities has traditionally been ascribed to memory impairments and dysexecutive function, whereas the impact of visual aging has often been overlooked. The ability to perceive visuospatial information such as salient landmarks is essential to navigating efficiently. To date, the functional and neurobiological factors underpinning landmark processing in aging remain insufficiently characterized. To address this issue, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate the brain activity associated with landmark-based navigation in young and healthy older participants. The performances of 25 young adults (μ = 25.4 years, σ = 2.7; seven females) and 17 older adults (μ = 73.0 years, σ = 3.9; 10 females) were assessed in a virtual-navigation task in which they had to orient using salient landmarks. The underlying whole-brain patterns of activity as well as the functional roles of specific cerebral regions involved in landmark processing, namely the parahippocampal place area (PPA), the occipital place area (OPA), and the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), were analyzed. Older adults' navigational abilities were overall diminished compared to young adults. Also, the two age groups relied on distinct navigational strategies to solve the task. Better performances during landmark-based navigation were associated with increased neural activity in an extended neural network comprising several cortical and cerebellar regions. Direct comparisons between age groups revealed that young participants had greater anterior temporal activity. Also, only young adults showed significant activity in occipital areas corresponding to the cortical projection of the central visual field during landmark-based navigation. The region-of-interest analysis revealed an increased OPA activation in older adult participants during the landmark condition. There were no significant between-group differences in PPA and RSC activations. These preliminary results hint at the possibility that aging diminishes fine-grained information processing in occipital and temporal regions, thus hindering the capacity to use landmarks adequately for navigation. Keeping sight of its exploratory nature, this work helps towards a better comprehension of the neural dynamics subtending landmark-based navigation and it provides new insights on the impact of age-related visuospatial processing differences on navigation capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Ramanoël
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- University of Côte d’Azur, LAMHESS, Nice, France
| | - Marion Durteste
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Marcia Bécu
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | | | - Angelo Arleo
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
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38
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Abstract
Successful navigation requires memorising and recognising the locations of objects across different perspectives. Although these abilities rely on hippocampal functioning, which is susceptible to degeneration in older adults, little is known about the effects of ageing on encoding and response strategies that are used to recognise spatial configurations. To investigate this, we asked young and older participants to encode the locations of objects in a virtual room shown as a picture on a computer screen. Participants were then shown a second picture of the same room taken from the same (0°) or a different perspective (45° or 135°) and had to judge whether the objects occupied the same or different locations. Overall, older adults had greater difficulty with the task than younger adults although the introduction of a perspective shift between encoding and testing impaired performance in both age groups. Diffusion modelling revealed that older adults adopted a more conservative response strategy, while the analysis of gaze patterns showed an age-related shift in visual-encoding strategies with older adults attending to more information when memorising the positions of objects in space. Overall, results suggest that ageing is associated with declines in spatial processing abilities, with older individuals shifting towards a more conservative decision style and relying more on encoding target object positions using room-based cues compared to younger adults, who focus more on encoding the spatial relationships among object clusters.
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Pu Y, Cornwell BR, Cheyne D, Johnson BW. Gender differences in navigation performance are associated with differential theta and high-gamma activities in the hippocampus and parahippocampus. Behav Brain Res 2020; 391:112664. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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40
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Sulpizio V, Galati G, Fattori P, Galletti C, Pitzalis S. A common neural substrate for processing scenes and egomotion-compatible visual motion. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:2091-2110. [PMID: 32647918 PMCID: PMC7473967 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02112-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have revealed two separate classes of category-selective regions specialized in optic flow (egomotion-compatible) processing and in scene/place perception. Despite the importance of both optic flow and scene/place recognition to estimate changes in position and orientation within the environment during self-motion, the possible functional link between egomotion- and scene-selective regions has not yet been established. Here we reanalyzed functional magnetic resonance images from a large sample of participants performing two well-known “localizer” fMRI experiments, consisting in passive viewing of navigationally relevant stimuli such as buildings and places (scene/place stimulus) and coherently moving fields of dots simulating the visual stimulation during self-motion (flow fields). After interrogating the egomotion-selective areas with respect to the scene/place stimulus and the scene-selective areas with respect to flow fields, we found that the egomotion-selective areas V6+ and pIPS/V3A responded bilaterally more to scenes/places compared to faces, and all the scene-selective areas (parahippocampal place area or PPA, retrosplenial complex or RSC, and occipital place area or OPA) responded more to egomotion-compatible optic flow compared to random motion. The conjunction analysis between scene/place and flow field stimuli revealed that the most important focus of common activation was found in the dorsolateral parieto-occipital cortex, spanning the scene-selective OPA and the egomotion-selective pIPS/V3A. Individual inspection of the relative locations of these two regions revealed a partial overlap and a similar response profile to an independent low-level visual motion stimulus, suggesting that OPA and pIPS/V3A may be part of a unique motion-selective complex specialized in encoding both egomotion- and scene-relevant information, likely for the control of navigation in a structured environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Sulpizio
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences-DIBINEM, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy. .,Department of Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging, Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy.
| | - Gaspare Galati
- Department of Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging, Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy.,Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Fattori
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences-DIBINEM, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Galletti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences-DIBINEM, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sabrina Pitzalis
- Department of Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging, Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy.,Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome ''Foro Italico'', Rome, Italy
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41
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Himmelberger ZM, Merrill EC, Conners FA, Roskos B, Yang Y, Robinson T. The Acquisition of Survey Knowledge by Individuals With Down Syndrome. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:256. [PMID: 32719594 PMCID: PMC7350862 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
People with Down syndrome often exhibit deficiencies in wayfinding activities, particularly route learning (e.g., Courbois et al., 2013; Davis et al., 2014; Farran et al., 2015). Evidence concerning more sophisticated survey learning has been sparse. In the research reported here, two experiments are reported that evaluated survey learning of youth with DS and typically developing children (TD) matched on mental age. In Experiment 1, participants learned two overlapping routes consisting of three turns each through a virtual environment depicting 9 square city blocks. Following acquisition, they were tested on multiple measures of survey knowledge: finding a shortcut, identifying the direction of landmarks not currently visible from their location in the environment, and recognizing a bird's-eye representation of the overall environment. Under these conditions, which should provide relatively optimal opportunities for survey learning, the participants with DS performed comparably to TD participants matched on non-verbal ability on all of our measures of survey learning. Hence, we concluded that people with DS can acquire some survey knowledge when tasked with learning a small environment and given the opportunity to do so. In Experiment 2, the experimenter navigated participants through a large, relatively complex, virtual environment along a circuitous path, beginning and ending at a target landmark. Then, the participants were placed at a pre-specified location in the environment that they had viewed previously and instructed to navigate to the same target (a door) using the shortest possible path from their current location. They completed the task three times: once after being shown the environment one time, once after three exposures, and once after five exposures. Results indicated that the participants with DS exhibited significantly less skill at identifying the shortcut than did the TD participants, with differences emerging as the number of exposures increased. Participants with DS were also less able to recall landmarks at the end of the experiment. Overall, however, the performance of both groups was relatively poor in both experiments - with the performance of participants with DS being worse as conditions became less optimal. These results were discussed in terms of underlying mechanisms that may account for variations in survey learning as environmental complexity increases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edward C. Merrill
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Frances A. Conners
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Beverly Roskos
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Yingying Yang
- Department of Psychology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | - Trent Robinson
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
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42
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Nau M, Navarro Schröder T, Frey M, Doeller CF. Behavior-dependent directional tuning in the human visual-navigation network. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3247. [PMID: 32591544 PMCID: PMC7320013 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17000-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain derives cognitive maps from sensory experience that guide memory formation and behavior. Despite extensive efforts, it still remains unclear how the underlying population activity unfolds during spatial navigation and how it relates to memory performance. To examine these processes, we combined 7T-fMRI with a kernel-based encoding model of virtual navigation to map world-centered directional tuning across the human cortex. First, we present an in-depth analysis of directional tuning in visual, retrosplenial, parahippocampal and medial temporal cortices. Second, we show that tuning strength, width and topology of this directional code during memory-guided navigation depend on successful encoding of the environment. Finally, we show that participants' locomotory state influences this tuning in sensory and mnemonic regions such as the hippocampus. We demonstrate a direct link between neural population tuning and human cognition, where high-level memory processing interacts with network-wide visuospatial coding in the service of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Nau
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, The Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Tobias Navarro Schröder
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, The Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Markus Frey
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, The Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian F Doeller
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, The Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
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43
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Fournier DI, Monasch RR, Bucci DJ, Todd TP. Retrosplenial cortex damage impairs unimodal sensory preconditioning. Behav Neurosci 2020; 134:198-207. [PMID: 32150422 PMCID: PMC7244381 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is positioned at the interface between cortical sensory regions and the structures that compose the medial temporal lobe memory system. It has recently been suggested that 1 functional role of the RSC involves the formation of associations between cues in the environment (stimulus-stimulus [S-S] learning; Bucci & Robinson, 2014). This suggestion is based, in part, on the finding that lesions or temporary inactivation of the RSC impair sensory preconditioning. However, all prior studies examining the role of the RSC in sensory preconditioning have used cues from multiple modalities (both visual and auditory stimuli). The purpose of the present experiment was to determine whether the RSC contributes to unimodal sensory preconditioning. In the present study we found that both electrolytic and neurotoxic lesions of the RSC impaired sensory preconditioning with auditory cues. Together with previous experiments, these findings indicate that the RSC contributes to both multisensory and unimodal sensory integration, which suggests a general role for the RSC in linking sensory cues in the environment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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44
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Coding of Navigational Distance and Functional Constraint of Boundaries in the Human Scene-Selective Cortex. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3621-3630. [PMID: 32209608 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1991-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
For visually guided navigation, the use of environmental cues is essential. Particularly, detecting local boundaries that impose limits to locomotion and estimating their location is crucial. In a series of three fMRI experiments, we investigated whether there is a neural coding of navigational distance in the human visual cortex (both female and male). We used virtual reality software to systematically manipulate the distance from a viewer perspective to different types of a boundary. Using a multivoxel pattern classification employing a linear support vector machine, we found that the occipital place area (OPA) is sensitive to the navigational distance restricted by the transparent glass wall. Further, the OPA was sensitive to a non-crossable boundary only, suggesting an importance of the functional constraint of a boundary. Together, we propose the OPA as a perceptual source of external environmental features relevant for navigation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT One of major goals in cognitive neuroscience has been to understand the nature of visual scene representation in human ventral visual cortex. An aspect of scene perception that has been overlooked despite its ecological importance is the analysis of space for navigation. One of critical computation necessary for navigation is coding of distance to environmental boundaries that impose limit on navigator's movements. This paper reports the first empirical evidence for coding of navigational distance in the human visual cortex and its striking sensitivity to functional constraint of environmental boundaries. Such finding links the paper to previous neurological and behavioral works that emphasized the distance to boundaries as a crucial geometric property for reorientation behavior of children and other animal species.
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45
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Powell A, Connelly WM, Vasalauskaite A, Nelson AJD, Vann SD, Aggleton JP, Sengpiel F, Ranson A. Stable Encoding of Visual Cues in the Mouse Retrosplenial Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:4424-4437. [PMID: 32147692 PMCID: PMC7438634 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The rodent retrosplenial cortex (RSC) functions as an integrative hub for sensory and motor signals, serving roles in both navigation and memory. While RSC is reciprocally connected with the sensory cortex, the form in which sensory information is represented in the RSC and how it interacts with motor feedback is unclear and likely to be critical to computations involved in navigation such as path integration. Here, we used 2-photon cellular imaging of neural activity of putative excitatory (CaMKII expressing) and inhibitory (parvalbumin expressing) neurons to measure visual and locomotion evoked activity in RSC and compare it to primary visual cortex (V1). We observed stimulus position and orientation tuning, and a retinotopic organization. Locomotion modulation of activity of single neurons, both in darkness and light, was more pronounced in RSC than V1, and while locomotion modulation was strongest in RSC parvalbumin-positive neurons, visual-locomotion integration was found to be more supralinear in CaMKII neurons. Longitudinal measurements showed that response properties were stably maintained over many weeks. These data provide evidence for stable representations of visual cues in RSC that are spatially selective. These may provide sensory data to contribute to the formation of memories of spatial information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Powell
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, CF10 3AS Cardiff, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, CF10 3AS Cardiff, UK
| | - Frank Sengpiel
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Adam Ranson
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Basic Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, 08195, Spain.,Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
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46
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Julian JB, Keinath AT, Marchette SA, Epstein RA. The Neurocognitive Basis of Spatial Reorientation. Curr Biol 2019; 28:R1059-R1073. [PMID: 30205055 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.04.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The ability to recover one's bearings when lost is a skill that is fundamental for spatial navigation. We review the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie this ability, with the aim of linking together previously disparate findings from animal behavior, human psychology, electrophysiology, and cognitive neuroscience. Behavioral work suggests that reorientation involves two key abilities: first, the recovery of a spatial reference frame (a cognitive map) that is appropriate to the current environment; and second, the determination of one's heading and location relative to that reference frame. Electrophysiological recording studies, primarily in rodents, have revealed potential correlates of these operations in place, grid, border/boundary, and head-direction cells in the hippocampal formation. Cognitive neuroscience studies, primarily in humans, suggest that the perceptual inputs necessary for these operations are processed by neocortical regions such as the retrosplenial complex, occipital place area and parahippocampal place area, with the retrosplenial complex mediating spatial transformations between the local environment and the recovered spatial reference frame, the occipital place area supporting perception of local boundaries, and the parahippocampal place area processing visual information that is essential for identification of the local spatial context. By combining results across these various literatures, we converge on a unified account of reorientation that bridges the cognitive and neural domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B Julian
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychology, 3710 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Alexandra T Keinath
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychology, 3710 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Verdun, QC, Canada
| | - Steven A Marchette
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychology, 3710 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Russell A Epstein
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychology, 3710 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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47
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Distinct representations of spatial and categorical relationships across human scene-selective cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:21312-21317. [PMID: 31570605 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903057116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We represent the locations of places (e.g., the coffee shop on 10th Street vs. the coffee shop on Peachtree Street) so that we can use them as landmarks to orient ourselves while navigating large-scale environments. While several neuroimaging studies have argued that the parahippocampal place area (PPA) represents such navigationally relevant information, evidence from other studies suggests otherwise, leaving this issue unresolved. Here we hypothesize that the PPA is, in fact, not well suited to recognize specific landmarks in the environment (e.g., the coffee shop on 10th Street), but rather is involved in recognizing the general category membership of places (e.g., a coffee shop, regardless of its location). Using fMRI multivoxel pattern analysis, we directly test this hypothesis. If the PPA represents landmark information, then it must be able to discriminate between 2 places of the same category, but in different locations. Instead, if the PPA represents general category information (as hypothesized here), then it will not represent the location of a particular place, but only the category of the place. As predicted, we found that the PPA represents 2 buildings from the same category, but in different locations, as more similar than 2 buildings from different categories, but in the same location. In contrast, another scene-selective region of cortex, the retrosplenial complex (RSC), showed the exact opposite pattern of results. Such a double dissociation suggests distinct neural systems involved in categorizing and navigating our environment, including the PPA and RSC, respectively.
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48
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Peer M, Ron Y, Monsa R, Arzy S. Processing of different spatial scales in the human brain. eLife 2019; 8:47492. [PMID: 31502539 PMCID: PMC6739872 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans navigate across a range of spatial scales, from rooms to continents, but the brain systems underlying spatial cognition are usually investigated only in small-scale environments. Do the same brain systems represent and process larger spaces? Here we asked subjects to compare distances between real-world items at six different spatial scales (room, building, neighborhood, city, country, continent) under functional MRI. Cortical activity showed a gradual progression from small to large scale processing, along three gradients extending anteriorly from the parahippocampal place area (PPA), retrosplenial complex (RSC) and occipital place area (OPA), and along the hippocampus posterior-anterior axis. Each of the cortical gradients overlapped with the visual system posteriorly and the default-mode network (DMN) anteriorly. These results suggest a progression from concrete to abstract processing with increasing spatial scale, and offer a new organizational framework for the brain’s spatial system, that may also apply to conceptual spaces beyond the spatial domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Peer
- Department of Medical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Neurology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Yorai Ron
- Department of Medical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Neurology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rotem Monsa
- Department of Medical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Neurology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shahar Arzy
- Department of Medical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Neurology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
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49
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Chen FT, Chen YP, Schneider S, Kao SC, Huang CM, Chang YK. Effects of Exercise Modes on Neural Processing of Working Memory in Late Middle-Aged Adults: An fMRI Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:224. [PMID: 31551752 PMCID: PMC6737283 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have highlighted the importance of regular exercise on cognitive function in aging populations, with aerobic exercise and cardiovascular fitness having received the largest amount of research attention. However, the relationship between exercise mode and cognitive function underlying behavioral modification and neural activation remains unknown. The present study, therefore, sought to examine the associations between different exercise modes and the working memory (WM) aspect of executive function as well as its task-evoked brain activation in the late middle-aged population. Seventy late middle-aged adults were classified into open-skill, closed-skill, or irregular exercise groups based on their participation in exercise activities prior to the study and then performed a spatial working memory (SWM) task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. The results revealed that exercise groups, regardless of exercise modes, showed better SWM and physical fitness performance. Additionally, the open-skill group exhibited greater brain activation in the prefrontal lobe, anterior cingulate cortex/supplementary motor area (ACC/SMA), and hippocampus than those in the closed-skill group, suggesting a mode-sensitive compensatory mechanism in late middle-aged adults. These findings indicate that exercise promotes cognitive health, improves WM, and enhances neurocognitive scaffolding in late middle-aged adults and further suggest that various exercise modes can effectively modulate frontal and hippocampal function in the face of age-related neurocognitive declines, implications that may inform the development of exercise programs for the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Tzu Chen
- Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ping Chen
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stefan Schneider
- Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Shih-Chun Kao
- Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Chih-Mao Huang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Kai Chang
- Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
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50
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He Q, McNamara TP, Brown TI. Manipulating the visibility of barriers to improve spatial navigation efficiency and cognitive mapping. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11567. [PMID: 31399641 PMCID: PMC6688987 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48098-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies from psychology, neuroscience and geography showed that environmental barriers fragment the representation of the environment, reduce spatial navigation efficiency, distort distance estimation and make spatial updating difficult. Despite these negative effects, limited research has examined how to overcome barriers and if individual differences mediate their causes and potential interventions. We hypothesize that the reduced visibility caused by barriers plays a major role in accumulating error in spatial updating and encoding spatial relationships. We tested this using virtual navigation to grant participants ‘X-ray’ vision during environment encoding (i.e., barriers become translucent) and quantifying cognitive mapping benefits of counteracting fragmented visibility. We found that compared to the participants trained with naturalistic environment visibility, participants trained in the translucent environment had better performance in wayfinding and pointing tasks, which are theorized to measure navigation efficiency and cognitive mapping. Interestingly, these benefits were only observed in participants with high self-report sense of direction. Together, our results provide important insight into (1) how perceptual barrier effects manifest, even when physical fragmentation of space is held constant, (2) establish a novel intervention that can improve spatial learning, and (3) provide evidence that individual differences modulate perceptual barrier effects and the efficacy of such interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiliang He
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
| | | | - Thackery I Brown
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA.
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