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Cellular networks underlying human spatial navigation

Author

Listed:
  • Arne D. Ekstrom

    (Brandeis University)

  • Michael J. Kahana

    (Brandeis University)

  • Jeremy B. Caplan

    (Brandeis University)

  • Tony A. Fields

    (University of California, (UCLA))

  • Eve A. Isham

    (University of California, (UCLA))

  • Ehren L. Newman

    (Brandeis University)

  • Itzhak Fried

    (University of California, (UCLA)
    Tel-Aviv University)

Abstract

Place cells of the rodent hippocampus constitute one of the most striking examples of a correlation between neuronal activity and complex behaviour in mammals1,2. These cells increase their firing rates when the animal traverses specific regions of its surroundings, providing a context-dependent map of the environment3,4,5. Neuroimaging studies implicate the hippocampus and the parahippocampal region in human navigation6,7,8. However, these regions also respond selectively to visual stimuli9,10,11,12,13. It thus remains unclear whether rodent place coding has a homologue in humans or whether human navigation is driven by a different, visually based neural mechanism. We directly recorded from 317 neurons in the human medial temporal and frontal lobes while subjects explored and navigated a virtual town. Here we present evidence for a neural code of human spatial navigation based on cells that respond at specific spatial locations and cells that respond to views of landmarks. The former are present primarily in the hippocampus, and the latter in the parahippocampal region. Cells throughout the frontal and temporal lobes responded to the subjects' navigational goals and to conjunctions of place, goal and view.

Suggested Citation

  • Arne D. Ekstrom & Michael J. Kahana & Jeremy B. Caplan & Tony A. Fields & Eve A. Isham & Ehren L. Newman & Itzhak Fried, 2003. "Cellular networks underlying human spatial navigation," Nature, Nature, vol. 425(6954), pages 184-188, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:425:y:2003:i:6954:d:10.1038_nature01964
    DOI: 10.1038/nature01964
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    Cited by:

    1. Johnson Ying & Alexandra T. Keinath & Raphael Lavoie & Erika Vigneault & Salah El Mestikawy & Mark P. Brandon, 2022. "Disruption of the grid cell network in a mouse model of early Alzheimer’s disease," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Sina Mackay & Thomas P. Reber & Marcel Bausch & Jan Boström & Christian E. Elger & Florian Mormann, 2024. "Concept and location neurons in the human brain provide the ‘what’ and ‘where’ in memory formation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Tamas Madl & Stan Franklin & Ke Chen & Robert Trappl & Daniela Montaldi, 2016. "Exploring the Structure of Spatial Representations," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-46, June.
    4. Jongwoon Kim & Hengji Huang & Earl T. Gilbert & Kaiser C. Arndt & Daniel Fine English & Xiaoting Jia, 2024. "T-DOpE probes reveal sensitivity of hippocampal oscillations to cannabinoids in behaving mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Kevin K. Sit & Michael J. Goard, 2023. "Coregistration of heading to visual cues in retrosplenial cortex," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Diego B. Piza & Benjamin W. Corrigan & Roberto A. Gulli & Sonia Carmo & A. Claudio Cuello & Lyle Muller & Julio Martinez-Trujillo, 2024. "Primacy of vision shapes behavioral strategies and neural substrates of spatial navigation in marmoset hippocampus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.
    7. Will D Penny & Peter Zeidman & Neil Burgess, 2013. "Forward and Backward Inference in Spatial Cognition," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(12), pages 1-22, December.

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