Review
Behavioral Sciences
Svend Heini W. Johnsen, Hana Mala Rytter
Summary: This article discusses the importance of designing methods to dissociate spatial strategies in animal research on spatial learning and memory, as well as the potential influence of multiple spatial reference frames in commonly used spatial paradigms that often go unaccounted for. The role of the hippocampus in egocentric navigation forms is reviewed, and possible methodological confounders are discussed.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Psychiatry
Pamela Banta Lavenex, Pierre Lavenex
Summary: Individuals with Down syndrome exhibit low-resolution egocentric and allocentric spatial learning and memory abilities, while individuals with Williams syndrome show impaired low-resolution allocentric spatial learning and memory abilities in comparison.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Qian Chen, Zhao Qing, Jiaxuan Jin, Yi Sun, Wenqian Chen, Jiaming Lu, Pin Lv, Jiani Liu, Xin Li, Junxia Wang, Wen Zhang, Sichu Wu, Xian Yan, Zuzana Nedelska, Jakub Hort, Xin Zhang, Bing Zhang
Summary: Individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) show deficits in spatial navigation (SN) and reduced brain network connectivity. Logistic regression based on SN and functional connectivity (FC) measures can effectively differentiate SCD individuals from controls.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Martina Laczo, Lukas Martinkovic, Ondrej Lerch, Jan M. Wiener, Jana Kalinova, Veronika Matuskova, Zuzana Nedelska, Martin Vyhnalek, Jakub Hort, Jan Laczo
Summary: This study assessed spatial navigation performance in AD aMCI and non-AD aMCI patients, and examined the associations between navigation performance and MRI measures of brain atrophy as well as CSF biomarkers related to AD pathology.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Maria Kozhevnikov, Jyotika Puri
Summary: The goal of this study was to demonstrate the existence of distinct types of survey-based environmental representations, egocentric and allocentric, and provide experimental evidence for the different navigational strategies, path integration and map-based navigation, underlying their formation. The results showed a double dissociation between these strategies, with egocentric survey-based representations relying on path integration and landmark processing, and allocentric-survey mappers using map-based navigation.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Eloy Parra-Barrero, Sandhiya Vijayabaskaran, Eddie Seabrook, Laurenz Wiskott, Sen Cheng
Summary: Spatial navigation has been extensively studied by neuroscientists, who have identified key brain areas and discovered many spatially selective cells. However, there is still a lack of understanding regarding how these pieces fit together to drive behavior, which is partly due to insufficient communication between behavioral and neuroscientific researchers. To address this issue, a taxonomy of navigation processes in mammals is proposed as a common framework for interdisciplinary research in the field. This taxonomy has proven useful in identifying potential problems with experimental approaches, designing targeted experiments, interpreting neural activity, and suggesting new avenues of research.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Brad A. Radvansky, Jun Young Oh, Jason R. Climer, Daniel A. Dombeck
Summary: This study shows that the hippocampus in mice does not map space as a single coherent physical variable, but rather as a combination of sensory and abstract reference frames determined by the subject's behavioral goal. Different behavioral tasks lead to global remapping in the hippocampus, adapting to different spatial information modalities.
Article
Neurosciences
Edmund T. Rolls
Summary: A new theory on navigation in primates, utilizing spatial view cells, whole body motion cells, and head direction cells, is proposed. This theory suggests that landmarks can be approached sequentially without the need for a topological map, with the help of self-motion path integration and spatial coordinate transform mechanisms. The use of different neuron types and computer simulations helps illustrate this navigation approach.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Andrew S. McAvan, Yu Karen Du, Alexis Oyao, Stephanie Doner, Matthew D. Grilli, Arne Ekstrom
Summary: Older adults typically perform worse on spatial navigation tasks, but maintain the ability to utilize various strategies when navigating. While older adults have less precise spatial memories, they can still generalize their memory for location of a hidden target given a new point of view.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Yumi Shikauchi, Makoto Miyakoshi, Scott Makeig, John R. Iversen
Summary: The study found that using map learning models led to more accurate estimation of step sizes and turning angles, with differences in the extent of advantage between egocentric and allocentric navigators. This suggests a Bayesian evidence of human map learning on navigation behavior and its implications for different types of navigators.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Raffaella Nori, Micaela Maria Zucchelli, Massimiliano Palmiero, Laura Piccardi
Summary: This study investigated the mediating role of anxiety (spatial, trait and state) in the relationship between cognitive load and spatial navigation (egocentric and allocentric) using parallel mediation models. The results showed that anxiety partially mediated the relationship between environmental load and spatial skills, especially for egocentric and allocentric tasks. Additionally, trait anxiety mediated the relationship between environmental load and allocentric performance.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Xiaoshan Li, Wenjing Wang
Summary: Spatial ability is a significant predictor of STEM achievement, with students who integrate navigation cues performing better academically. Results showed that use of navigation cues varied between science and mathematics versus engineering and technology, highlighting the importance of spatial cognitive processes in different disciplines within STEM education.
SCIENCE & EDUCATION
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Mathematical
Alessia Bonavita, Alice Teghil, Maria Chiara Pesola, Cecilia Guariglia, Fabrizia D'Antonio, Antonella Di Vita, Maddalena Boccia
Summary: The study found that the conditions in which tasks are performed affect the acquisition of route knowledge, likely due to the lack of proprioceptive and vestibular information in laboratory-based settings. The laboratory-based tests provided in the study offer a standard battery of tests that can overcome replicability issues encountered in ecological navigation tests.
BEHAVIOR RESEARCH METHODS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Juan P. Beccaria, Carlos A. Pretell Annan, Ettel Keifman, M. Gustavo Murer, Juan E. Belforte
Summary: This study provides evidence that striatal cholinergic interneurons (SCINs) modulate their activity in the selection of behavioral strategies. The results show that depletion of SCINs in adult mice impairs their ability to shift away from initially adopted strategies. This suggests that SCINs play a critical role in resolving cognitive conflicts and may contribute to the emergence of perseverative/compulsive traits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Jinhui Li, Ruibin Zhang, Siqi Liu, Qunjun Liang, Senning Zheng, Xianyou He, Ruiwang Huang
Summary: Humans use different spatial reference frames for navigation with specific brain regions being activated. Environmental space shows stronger activation in certain brain regions compared to vista space, and allocentric reference frame also displays stronger activation in some areas.