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Neuronal representation of environmental boundaries in egocentric coordinates
James R Hinman1,2, G William Chapman3, Michael E Hasselmo4
1Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. hinmanlab.uiuc@gmail.com.
Nature Communications
|June 26, 2019
Summary
Animals navigate using egocentric reference frames for movement. This study reveals how the dorsomedial striatum represents environmental boundaries in an egocentric spatial frame, crucial for navigation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Spatial Cognition
Background:
- Animal navigation relies on both allocentric (world-centered) and egocentric (self-centered) spatial representations.
- The hippocampal formation is known for allocentric mapping, while motor control utilizes egocentric frames.
- Converting allocentric plans to egocentric commands is essential for executing physical movement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural basis of egocentric spatial representation of environmental boundaries.
- To identify brain regions involved in transforming allocentric navigational information into egocentric motor commands.
Main Methods:
- Utilized behavioral experiments in rodents to assess spatial navigation and boundary representation.
- Employed neurophysiological recordings and/or neuroimaging techniques to examine neural activity.
- Analyzed neural data in relation to environmental boundaries and animal's position and orientation.
Main Results:
- Identified a population of neurons in the dorsomedial striatum that encode environmental boundaries within an egocentric reference frame.
- Demonstrated that this egocentric boundary representation is distinct from allocentric representations found elsewhere.
- Showed that the activity of these neurons predicts egocentric movement decisions.
Conclusions:
- The dorsomedial striatum plays a critical role in representing environmental boundaries in an egocentric frame.
- This egocentric representation is a key neural substrate for converting navigational plans into motor actions.
- Findings advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying spatial navigation and behavior.
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