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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 24, 2025

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain

Published on: October 13, 2023

Strategy dependent recruitment of distributed cortical circuits during spatial navigation.

Daniel Surinach¹, Mathew L Rynes², Kapil Saxena¹

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Research Square

|July 3, 2023

Summary

Brain activity shifts rapidly during spatial navigation. Distinct cortical activation patterns emerge as mice learn new environments, differentiating search strategies.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science

Background:

Understanding how the brain coordinates cortical activity during spatial navigation in novel environments is crucial.
The dynamic changes in neural coordination as environments become familiar remain largely unknown.

Approach:

Mesoscale calcium imaging recorded dorsal cortex activity in mice navigating the Barnes maze.
A clustering algorithm identified 7 distinct cortical activation states from the calcium dynamics.
Analysis focused on differentiating neural patterns associated with random, serial, and spatial search strategies.

Key Points:

Cortical dynamics showed rapid, sub-second shifts between distinct activation patterns.
Frontal cortex activation (>1s) occurred during serial and spatial search strategies, specifically when mice moved from the center.
Preceding cortical activation sequences differed significantly between serial and spatial search strategies.

Conclusions:

Cortical activation patterns can differentiate between goal-directed and non-goal-directed spatial navigation.
Specific temporal sequences of cortical activity precede distinct search strategies, highlighting neural correlates of cognitive flexibility.