Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 14, 2025
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Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain
Published on: October 13, 2023
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Common brain areas in spatial navigation and visuo-spatial planning: A meta-analysis.
Sofia Pepe1, Alessandro von Gal1, Greta Fabiani1
1Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi, 78, Rome 00185, Italy.
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|July 22, 2025
Summary
This study reveals shared brain networks for spatial navigation and visuo-spatial planning, primarily in frontal regions. It clarifies neural mechanisms and offers insights into deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders and brain injuries.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Spatial navigation and visuo-spatial planning are crucial cognitive functions.
- Their neural underpinnings involve overlapping yet distinct brain regions, requiring further clarification.
- Understanding these networks is vital for addressing neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the shared and distinct neural substrates of spatial navigation and visuo-spatial planning.
- To identify common brain regions supporting both active navigation and planning tasks like the Tower of London.
- To differentiate the specific brain areas engaged more in navigation versus planning.
Main Methods:
- Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies.
- Inclusion of studies on active, goal-directed navigation and visuo-spatial planning (Tower of London).
- Conjunction and contrast analyses to compare brain activation patterns.
Main Results:
- A shared network for both tasks includes bilateral frontal regions: superior frontal gyrus (SFG), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), anterior insula (INS), left supplementary motor area (SMA), and inferior frontal gyrus (IFGtriang).
- Spatial navigation showed greater involvement of the hippocampus (HIP) and parahippocampal gyrus (PHG).
- Visuo-spatial planning engaged posterior parietal and dorsolateral prefrontal regions more significantly.
Conclusions:
- The findings delineate a common neural network supporting both visuo-spatial planning and spatial navigation.
- Specific regions within the frontal lobe are critical for both processes.
- This research enhances understanding of cognitive deficits in brain injuries and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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