Grid-cell representations in mental simulation
Anticipating the future is a key motif of the brain, possibly supported by mental simulation of upcoming events. Rodent single-cell recordings suggest the ability of spatially tuned cells to represent subsequent locations. Grid-like representations have been observed in the human entorhinal cortex d...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2016-08-01
|
| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/17089 |
| _version_ | 1829098401392754688 |
|---|---|
| author | Jacob LS Bellmund Lorena Deuker Tobias Navarro Schröder Christian F Doeller |
| author_facet | Jacob LS Bellmund Lorena Deuker Tobias Navarro Schröder Christian F Doeller |
| author_sort | Jacob LS Bellmund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anticipating the future is a key motif of the brain, possibly supported by mental simulation of upcoming events. Rodent single-cell recordings suggest the ability of spatially tuned cells to represent subsequent locations. Grid-like representations have been observed in the human entorhinal cortex during virtual and imagined navigation. However, hitherto it remains unknown if grid-like representations contribute to mental simulation in the absence of imagined movement. Participants imagined directions between building locations in a large-scale virtual-reality city while undergoing fMRI without re-exposure to the environment. Using multi-voxel pattern analysis, we provide evidence for representations of absolute imagined direction at a resolution of 30° in the parahippocampal gyrus, consistent with the head-direction system. Furthermore, we capitalize on the six-fold rotational symmetry of grid-cell firing to demonstrate a 60° periodic pattern-similarity structure in the entorhinal cortex. Our findings imply a role of the entorhinal grid-system in mental simulation and future thinking beyond spatial navigation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T07:48:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4fe36028b456480fb831e06c24b39d94 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T07:48:46Z |
| publishDate | 2016-08-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-4fe36028b456480fb831e06c24b39d942022-12-22T02:05:15ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2016-08-01510.7554/eLife.17089Grid-cell representations in mental simulationJacob LS Bellmund0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2098-4487Lorena Deuker1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4939-5862Tobias Navarro Schröder2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6498-1846Christian F Doeller3Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NorwayDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, GermanyDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NorwayDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NorwayAnticipating the future is a key motif of the brain, possibly supported by mental simulation of upcoming events. Rodent single-cell recordings suggest the ability of spatially tuned cells to represent subsequent locations. Grid-like representations have been observed in the human entorhinal cortex during virtual and imagined navigation. However, hitherto it remains unknown if grid-like representations contribute to mental simulation in the absence of imagined movement. Participants imagined directions between building locations in a large-scale virtual-reality city while undergoing fMRI without re-exposure to the environment. Using multi-voxel pattern analysis, we provide evidence for representations of absolute imagined direction at a resolution of 30° in the parahippocampal gyrus, consistent with the head-direction system. Furthermore, we capitalize on the six-fold rotational symmetry of grid-cell firing to demonstrate a 60° periodic pattern-similarity structure in the entorhinal cortex. Our findings imply a role of the entorhinal grid-system in mental simulation and future thinking beyond spatial navigation.https://elifesciences.org/articles/17089grid cellsfMRIimaginationnavigationspatial cognitionplanning |
| spellingShingle | Jacob LS Bellmund Lorena Deuker Tobias Navarro Schröder Christian F Doeller Grid-cell representations in mental simulation eLife grid cells fMRI imagination navigation spatial cognition planning |
| title | Grid-cell representations in mental simulation |
| title_full | Grid-cell representations in mental simulation |
| title_fullStr | Grid-cell representations in mental simulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grid-cell representations in mental simulation |
| title_short | Grid-cell representations in mental simulation |
| title_sort | grid cell representations in mental simulation |
| topic | grid cells fMRI imagination navigation spatial cognition planning |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/17089 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jacoblsbellmund gridcellrepresentationsinmentalsimulation AT lorenadeuker gridcellrepresentationsinmentalsimulation AT tobiasnavarroschroder gridcellrepresentationsinmentalsimulation AT christianfdoeller gridcellrepresentationsinmentalsimulation |