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Tiling of large-scaled environments by grid cells requires experience
Blanca E Gutiérrez-Guzmán1, J Jesús Hernández-Pérez1, Holger Dannenberg1
1Department of Bioengineering, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA 22030.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|March 3, 2025
Summary
Grid cells in the brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Medial entorhinal cortex grid cells are thought to provide a universal scale for navigation.
- Their spatial periodicity is crucial for vector-based navigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how grid cell spatial periodicity is affected by changes in environmental scale.
- To determine if grid cells can adapt to represent large-scale environments.
Main Methods:
- Single unit recordings were performed in freely behaving mice.
- Mice navigated environments of varying sizes with different scale ratios.
Main Results:
- Grid cell spatial periodicity was disrupted when transitioning from small to large arenas if the scale ratio exceeded that of successive grid modules.
- Grid cell firing patterns gradually reemerged with experience in the large-scale arena.
Conclusions:
- Grid cell function is sensitive to environmental scale.
- Grid cells demonstrate experience-dependent plasticity, enabling representation of large-scale spaces.
