Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 6, 2025
05:55
Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain
Published on: October 13, 2023
1.3K
A network linking scene perception and spatial memory systems in posterior cerebral cortex
Adam Steel1, Madeleine M Billings2, Edward H Silson3
1Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA. adam.steel@dartmouth.edu.
Nature Communications
|May 12, 2021
Summary
Researchers identified new brain regions, "place-memory areas," that activate when recalling familiar locations. These areas connect scene perception and spatial memory for navigation and understanding visual scenes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Neural systems for scene perception and spatial memory are known.
- The interaction between these systems remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the neural basis of how scene perception and spatial memory interact.
- Identify specific brain regions involved in recalling familiar real-world locations.
Main Methods:
- Used fine-grained, individual-subject functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).
- Analyzed functional networks to understand brain region interactions.
Main Results:
- Discovered three distinct cortical areas anterior to scene perception regions.
- These areas selectively activate during recall of familiar real-world locations.
- Network analyses confirmed these areas form a distinct functional network.
Conclusions:
- Identified novel "place-memory areas" in the human brain.
- These areas interface with spatial memory systems during scene understanding.
- Provides a new framework for memory-guided visual behaviors like navigation.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
7.3K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
7.3K
01:24Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
1.4K
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
1.4K
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
5.5K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
5.5K
01:23Storage
195
A schema is a mental framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information. Schemata, formed from previous experiences, influence how we process new information: how we encode it, the inferences we make, and how we retrieve it. For instance, a schema for what a typical classroom looks like might include desks, a teacher's desk, a whiteboard, and students in such an environment. This expectation helps us quickly understand and navigate new classrooms without needing to analyze...
195
01:19Role of Hippocampus in Memory
727
The hippocampus, a critical brain structure, plays an essential role in memory processing, particularly in the formation and retrieval of memory. This small, seahorse-shaped region is located within the medial temporal lobe, with one hippocampus in each brain hemisphere. Experimental studies involving lesions in the hippocampi of rats have demonstrated significant impairments in tasks such as object recognition and maze navigation, indicating the hippocampus involvement in both recognition and...
727
01:20Parallel Processing
411
The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...
411