Entorhinal grid-like codes and time-locked network dynamics track others navigating through space.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Spatial Navigation

Background:

• Grid cells in the entorhinal cortex are vital for self-location and navigation.
• It remains unclear if these cells also track the movement of others.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of entorhinal grid-like codes in socio-spatial navigation.
• To determine if entorhinal grid activity tracks demonstrator movement.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used on 60 participants.
• Participants observed and re-traced paths of a demonstrator in a virtual reality environment.

Main Results:

• Entorhinal grid-like codes were found to track the demonstrator's movement.
• Grid cell activity correlated with co-activation and connectivity in brain regions including the striatum, hippocampus, and parietal cortex.
• Stronger grid-related effects during observation predicted worse performance in subsequent path retracing.

Conclusions:

• Entorhinal grid-like codes contribute significantly to socio-spatial navigation.
• Network dynamics linked to grid cell activity may facilitate the brain-wide distribution of information about others' locations.