Human navigation network: the intrinsic functional organization and behavioral relevance.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Network Science

Background:

• Spatial navigation is essential for survival and relies on distributed brain regions.
• The network organization of human navigation remains poorly understood.
• Understanding the navigation network is key to addressing navigation impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the network properties of human spatial navigation.
• To explore the relationship between navigation network topology and behavioral navigation ability.
• To identify key brain regions within the navigation network.

Main Methods:

• Combined neuroimaging meta-analysis (Neurosynth) with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
• Constructed individual navigation networks using functional connectivity.
• Analyzed network topological properties (small-worldness, modularity, hubs) and correlated them with behavioral data in 190 healthy adults.

Main Results:

• Navigation networks exhibit small-world and modular organization.
• Increased small-worldness and modularity correlate with enhanced navigation abilities.
• The right retrosplenial cortex (RSC) functions as a critical hub, with its betweenness centrality linked to better navigation skills.

Conclusions:

• The human navigation system is organized as a small-world, modular network.
• Network topology, particularly small-worldness and modularity, is behaviorally relevant for navigation.
• The RSC plays a crucial role in modulating the navigation network, impacting human navigation performance.