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Theta activity in the RSC anchors space to the body cardinal axes
Clément Naveilhan1, Stephen Ramanoël2
1Université Côte d'Azur, LAMHESS, Nice, France.
Neuroimage
|June 20, 2026
Summary
The brain uses theta bursts in the retrosplenial complex (RSC) to encode body orientation during movement. This self-motion signal aids navigation without landmarks, improving heading updates.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human Navigation
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Human navigation relies on integrating sensory information to maintain a sense of direction.
- The retrosplenial complex (RSC) is implicated in spatial processing, but its role in dynamic navigation is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the brain encodes directional information during self-motion.
- To explore the neural mechanisms underlying heading updates in the absence of visual landmarks.
Main Methods:
- High-density mobile electroencephalography (EEG) combined with immersive virtual reality (VR).
- Whole-body rotations were performed in VR, with and without landmarks.
- Analysis focused on theta burst activity in the RSC.
Main Results:
- Theta bursts in the RSC encode both acceleration and alignment with the body's principal axes.
- This body-axis-anchored neural signal was present during goal-directed rotations without landmarks.
- The strength of this signal correlated with individual navigation performance.
Conclusions:
- The RSC utilizes a self-motion-gated, body-centered reference frame for directional coding.
- This adaptive mechanism provides a stable egocentric scaffold for heading updating during movement.
- Findings bridge human neuroimaging and rodent research, advancing embodied accounts of navigation.
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