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A Comprehensive Protocol for Manual Segmentation of the Medial Temporal Lobe Structures
Published on: July 2, 2014
Medial temporal lobe roles in human path integration
Naohide Yamamoto1, John W Philbeck2, Adam J Woods3
1Department of Psychology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America; Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America.
Abstract:
Path integration is a process in which observers derive their location by integrating self-motion signals along their locomotion trajectory. Although the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is thought to take part in path integration, the scope of its role for path integration remains unclear. To address this issue, we administered a variety of tasks involving path integration and other related processes to a group of neurosurgical patients whose MTL was unilaterally resected as therapy for epilepsy. These patients were unimpaired relative to neurologically intact controls in many tasks that required integration of various kinds of sensory self-motion information. However, the same patients (especially those who had lesions in the right hemisphere) walked farther than the controls when attempting to walk without vision to a previewed target. Importantly, this task was unique in our test battery in that it allowed participants to form a mental representation of the target location and anticipate their upcoming walking trajectory before they began moving. Thus, these results put forth a new idea that the role of MTL structures for human path integration may stem from their participation in predicting the consequences of one's locomotor actions. The strengths of this new theoretical viewpoint are discussed.
Insights
The medial temporal lobe (MTL) is crucial for predicting movement consequences during path integration, not just integrating self-motion signals. Patients with MTL resections showed impaired navigation when predicting target locations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Spatial Navigation
Background:
- Path integration relies on self-motion cues to determine location.
- The medial temporal lobe (MTL) is implicated in path integration, but its specific role is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) in human path integration.
- To determine if MTL structures are essential for integrating self-motion information or for predicting locomotor actions.
Main Methods:
- Administered various path integration and related tasks to neurosurgical patients with unilateral MTL resections.
- Compared patient performance to neurologically intact controls on tasks involving sensory self-motion integration and target-directed walking without vision.
Main Results:
- Patients with MTL resections were unimpaired in tasks requiring integration of sensory self-motion information.
- Patients, particularly those with right-hemisphere lesions, exhibited increased walking distance towards a previewed target without vision, suggesting impaired predictive navigation.
Conclusions:
- The medial temporal lobe's (MTL) contribution to path integration may stem from its role in predicting the consequences of locomotor actions.
- This finding suggests a predictive role for MTL structures in spatial navigation and self-motion perception.
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