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Age-related preference for geometric spatial cues during real-world navigation

Author

Listed:
  • Marcia Bécu

    (Institut de la Vision)

  • Denis Sheynikhovich

    (Institut de la Vision)

  • Guillaume Tatur

    (Institut de la Vision)

  • Catherine Persephone Agathos

    (Institut de la Vision)

  • Luca Leonardo Bologna

    (Institut de la Vision
    Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council)

  • José-Alain Sahel

    (Institut de la Vision
    CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423
    Fondation Ophtalmologique Rothschild
    The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine)

  • Angelo Arleo

    (Institut de la Vision)

Abstract

Ageing effects on spatial navigation are characterized mainly in terms of impaired allocentric strategies. However, an alternative hypothesis is that navigation difficulties in aged people are associated with deficits in processing and encoding spatial cues. We tested this hypothesis by studying how geometry and landmark cues control navigation in young and older adults in a real, ecological environment. Recordings of body and gaze dynamics revealed a preference for geometry-based navigation in older adults, and for landmark-based navigation in younger ones. While cue processing was associated with specific fixation patterns, advanced age manifested itself in a longer reorientation time, reflecting an unbalanced exploration–exploitation trade-off in scanning policies. Moreover, a battery of tests revealed a specific cognitive deficit in older adults with geometric preference. These results suggest that allocentric strategy deficits in ageing can result from difficulties related to landmark coding, and predict recovery of allocentric strategies in geometrically polarized environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcia Bécu & Denis Sheynikhovich & Guillaume Tatur & Catherine Persephone Agathos & Luca Leonardo Bologna & José-Alain Sahel & Angelo Arleo, 2020. "Age-related preference for geometric spatial cues during real-world navigation," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 88-99, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:4:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41562-019-0718-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0718-z
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