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Functional connectivity changes in the entorhinal cortex of taxi drivers
Limin Peng1, Ling-Li Zeng1, Qiang Liu2
1College of Mechatronics and Automation, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Brain and Behavior
|August 17, 2018
Summary
Long-term navigation experience alters brain connectivity in the entorhinal cortex (EC). Taxi drivers showed reduced functional connectivity in EC subregions, linked to years of driving.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- The entorhinal cortex (EC) is crucial for spatial memory and navigation, interfacing the hippocampus and neocortex.
- The EC's subregions, anterior-lateral EC (alEC) and posterior-medial EC (pmEC), process different information types.
- Functional connectivity of EC subregions with extensive navigation experience is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in functional connectivity of EC subregions due to long-term navigation experience.
- To identify navigation-related alterations in the functional properties of the human EC.
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional connectivity was analyzed in 20 taxi drivers and 20 controls.
- Compared EC functional connectivity maps between groups.
- Correlated connectivity changes with years of taxi driving.
Main Results:
- Taxi drivers exhibited reduced functional connectivity between the left posterior-medial EC (pmEC) and regions including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), angular gyrus, and precuneus.
- Reduced connectivity was also observed between the right pmEC and the left inferior temporal gyrus in taxi drivers.
- Connectivity strength between the left pmEC and left precuneus/right ACC negatively correlated with driving years.
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to examine the impact of extensive navigation experience on EC connectivity.
- Findings suggest navigational training influences the functional organization of the EC in healthy brains.
- Results offer insights into brain plasticity related to spatial navigation skills.
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