The neural representation of absolute direction during mental navigation in conceptual spaces

When humans mentally navigate bidimensional uniform conceptual spaces, they recruit the same grid-like and distance codes typically evoked when exploring the physical environment. Here, using fMRI, we show evidence that conceptual navigation also elicits another kind of spatial code: that of absolute direction. This code is mostly localized in the medial parietal cortex, where its strength predicts participants' comparative semantic judgments. It may provide a complementary mechanism for conceptual navigation outside the hippocampal formation. Vigano et al. use fMRI in healthy human participants to show that conceptual navigation elicits a spatial code for absolute direction in the medial parietal cortex. Their findings are suggestive of a complementary mechanism for conceptual navigation outside the hippocampal formation.

Automated summary

When mentally navigating bidimensional uniform conceptual spaces, humans recruit grid-like and distance codes as well as a spatial code for absolute direction, mainly localized in the medial parietal cortex. This additional spatial code may serve as a complementary mechanism for conceptual navigation outside the hippocampal formation. Vigano et al. used fMRI to demonstrate the presence of a spatial code for absolute direction in the medial parietal cortex during conceptual navigation in healthy human participants.