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Evidence for grid cells in a human memory network

Author

Listed:
  • Christian F. Doeller

    (UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
    UCL Institute of Neurology)

  • Caswell Barry

    (UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
    UCL Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
    UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, University College London)

  • Neil Burgess

    (UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
    UCL Institute of Neurology)

Abstract

On the grid for the rat race The discovery by Edvard Moser and colleagues that rats and mice possess an orientation map of their surroundings, produced and updated by a network of cerebral cortex neurons known as 'grid cells' was one of the most exciting neuroscientific findings in recent years. These cells provide a strikingly periodic representation of self-location. The question naturally arises, does a similar mechanism operate in humans? The answer is provided in a paper by Christian Doeller, Caswell Barry and Neil Burgess in which single-unit recordings of grid cells in freely moving rats were combined with whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans navigating within virtual environments. Doeller et al. were able to detect a macroscopic fMRI signal representing a subject's position in a virtual reality environment that met the criteria for defining grid-cell encoding. Thus, humans appear to represent position and support spatial cognition in a manner very like that used by rodents.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian F. Doeller & Caswell Barry & Neil Burgess, 2010. "Evidence for grid cells in a human memory network," Nature, Nature, vol. 463(7281), pages 657-661, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:463:y:2010:i:7281:d:10.1038_nature08704
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08704
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    Citations

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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. Alexander Nitsch & Mona M. Garvert & Jacob L. S. Bellmund & Nicolas W. Schuck & Christian F. Doeller, 2024. "Grid-like entorhinal representation of an abstract value space during prospective decision making," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    4. Isabella C. Wagner & Luise P. Graichen & Boryana Todorova & Andre Lüttig & David B. Omer & Matthias Stangl & Claus Lamm, 2023. "Entorhinal grid-like codes and time-locked network dynamics track others navigating through space," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    5. Nir Moneta & Mona M. Garvert & Hauke R. Heekeren & Nicolas W. Schuck, 2023. "Task state representations in vmPFC mediate relevant and irrelevant value signals and their behavioral influence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    6. Simone Viganò & Rena Bayramova & Christian F. Doeller & Roberto Bottini, 2023. "Mental search of concepts is supported by egocentric vector representations and restructured grid maps," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Federica Sigismondi & Yangwen Xu & Mattia Silvestri & Roberto Bottini, 2024. "Altered grid-like coding in early blind people," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    8. 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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