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Graded encoding of spatial novelty scales in the human brain
Jörn A Quent1,2, Liangyue Song1, Xinyu Liang1
1Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Nature Communications
|December 4, 2025
Summary
The human brain encodes spatial novelty using distinct neural responses in the hippocampus and cortex. Graded representations along the hippocampal axis are key to processing new versus familiar environments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Successful navigation requires processing environmental information.
- Novelty detection plays a critical role in spatial processing, but its neural mechanisms are unclear.
- Understanding how the brain distinguishes novel from familiar spaces is essential for spatial cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural encoding of spatial novelty during virtual navigation in the human brain.
- To examine graded representations of spatial novelty and familiarity.
- To identify specific brain regions involved in processing novel versus familiar spatial information.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ultra-high field 7 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (7T fMRI).
- Employed virtual navigation tasks to simulate real-world spatial exploration.
- Analyzed neural activity patterns related to novelty and familiarity.
Main Results:
- Found distinct hippocampal responses: posterior for novelty, anterior for familiarity.
- Identified separable cortical activity streams: visual/frontoparietal networks for novelty, somatomotor/attention/default mode for familiarity.
- Revealed a hippocampal long-axis gradient and posterior medial cortex involvement in encoding spatial novelty scales.
Conclusions:
- Spatial novelty and familiarity are encoded through specific, distributed neural patterns in the brain.
- A graded representation along the hippocampal axis is crucial for processing spatial novelty.
- These findings suggest graded spatial novelty encoding is a fundamental principle of spatial cognition.
