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Sources of path integration error in young and aging humans

Author

Listed:
  • Matthias Stangl

    (University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
    Aging & Cognition Research Group)

  • Ingmar Kanitscheider

    (The University of Texas
    OpenAI)

  • Martin Riemer

    (Aging & Cognition Research Group
    Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences)

  • Ila Fiete

    (The University of Texas
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT))

  • Thomas Wolbers

    (Aging & Cognition Research Group
    Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences)

Abstract

Path integration plays a vital role in navigation: it enables the continuous tracking of one's position in space by integrating self-motion cues. Path integration abilities vary widely across individuals, and tend to deteriorate in old age. The specific causes of path integration errors, however, remain poorly characterized. Here, we combine tests of path integration performance in participants of different ages with an analysis based on the Langevin equation for diffusive dynamics, which allows us to decompose errors into distinct causes that can corrupt path integration computations. We show that, across age groups, the dominant error source is unbiased noise that accumulates with travel distance not elapsed time, suggesting that the noise originates in the velocity input rather than within the integrator. Age-related declines are primarily traced to a growth in this noise. These findings shed light on the contributors to path integration error and the mechanisms underlying age-related navigational deficits.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Stangl & Ingmar Kanitscheider & Martin Riemer & Ila Fiete & Thomas Wolbers, 2020. "Sources of path integration error in young and aging humans," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-15805-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15805-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Maryam Najafian Jazi & Adrian Tymorek & Ting-Yun Yen & Felix Jose Kavarayil & Moritz Stingl & Sherman Richard Chau & Benay Baskurt & Celia García Vilela & Kevin Allen, 2023. "Hippocampal firing fields anchored to a moving object predict homing direction during path-integration-based behavior," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Saskia Kuliga & Martin Berwig & Martina Roes, 2021. "Wayfinding in People with Alzheimer’s Disease: Perspective Taking and Architectural Cognition—A Vision Paper on Future Dementia Care Research Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-24, January.
    3. Fabian Kessler & Julia Frankenstein & Constantin A. Rothkopf, 2024. "Human navigation strategies and their errors result from dynamic interactions of spatial uncertainties," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-19, December.

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