A principle of economy predicts the functional architecture of grid cells
Grid cells in the brain respond when an animal occupies a periodic lattice of ‘grid fields’ during navigation. Grids are organized in modules with different periodicity. We propose that the grid system implements a hierarchical code for space that economizes the number of neurons required to encode...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2015-09-01
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| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/08362 |
| _version_ | 1818019685537415168 |
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| author | Xue-Xin Wei Jason Prentice Vijay Balasubramanian |
| author_facet | Xue-Xin Wei Jason Prentice Vijay Balasubramanian |
| author_sort | Xue-Xin Wei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Grid cells in the brain respond when an animal occupies a periodic lattice of ‘grid fields’ during navigation. Grids are organized in modules with different periodicity. We propose that the grid system implements a hierarchical code for space that economizes the number of neurons required to encode location with a given resolution across a range equal to the largest period. This theory predicts that (i) grid fields should lie on a triangular lattice, (ii) grid scales should follow a geometric progression, (iii) the ratio between adjacent grid scales should be √e for idealized neurons, and lie between 1.4 and 1.7 for realistic neurons, (iv) the scale ratio should vary modestly within and between animals. These results explain the measured grid structure in rodents. We also predict optimal organization in one and three dimensions, the number of modules, and, with added assumptions, the ratio between grid periods and field widths. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T07:55:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b86d329b95a49909640d952f2f3578f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T07:55:36Z |
| publishDate | 2015-09-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b86d329b95a49909640d952f2f3578f2022-12-22T02:05:04ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2015-09-01410.7554/eLife.08362A principle of economy predicts the functional architecture of grid cellsXue-Xin Wei0Jason Prentice1Vijay Balasubramanian2Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United StatesPrinceton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United StatesDepartment of Physics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United StatesGrid cells in the brain respond when an animal occupies a periodic lattice of ‘grid fields’ during navigation. Grids are organized in modules with different periodicity. We propose that the grid system implements a hierarchical code for space that economizes the number of neurons required to encode location with a given resolution across a range equal to the largest period. This theory predicts that (i) grid fields should lie on a triangular lattice, (ii) grid scales should follow a geometric progression, (iii) the ratio between adjacent grid scales should be √e for idealized neurons, and lie between 1.4 and 1.7 for realistic neurons, (iv) the scale ratio should vary modestly within and between animals. These results explain the measured grid structure in rodents. We also predict optimal organization in one and three dimensions, the number of modules, and, with added assumptions, the ratio between grid periods and field widths.https://elifesciences.org/articles/08362grid cellspatial cognitionefficient codingtheoretical neuroscience |
| spellingShingle | Xue-Xin Wei Jason Prentice Vijay Balasubramanian A principle of economy predicts the functional architecture of grid cells eLife grid cell spatial cognition efficient coding theoretical neuroscience |
| title | A principle of economy predicts the functional architecture of grid cells |
| title_full | A principle of economy predicts the functional architecture of grid cells |
| title_fullStr | A principle of economy predicts the functional architecture of grid cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | A principle of economy predicts the functional architecture of grid cells |
| title_short | A principle of economy predicts the functional architecture of grid cells |
| title_sort | principle of economy predicts the functional architecture of grid cells |
| topic | grid cell spatial cognition efficient coding theoretical neuroscience |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/08362 |
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