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Cited by 298Memory and Neural MechanismsSpatial Cognition and NavigationMemory Processes and Influences

The hippocampus and entorhinal cortex encode the path and Euclidean distances to goals during navigation

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Howard, Lorelei R., Javadi, Amir Homayoun, Yu, Yichao, Mill, Ravi D., Morrison, Laura C., Knight, Rebecca, Loftus, Michelle M., Staskute, Laura +1 more·2014·Current Biology
DOI 10.1016/j.cub.2014.05.001PMC PMC4062938
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite decades of research on spatial memory, we know surprisingly little about how the brain guides navigation to goals. While some models argue that vectors are represented for navigational guidance, other models postulate that the future path is computed. Although the hippocampal formation has been implicated in processing spatial goal information, it remains unclear whether this region processes path- or vector-related information. RESULTS: We report neuroimaging data collected from subjects navigating London's Soho district; these data reveal that both the path distance and the Euclidean distance to the goal are encoded by the medial temporal lobe during navigation. While activity in the posterior hippocampus was sensitive to the distance along the path, activity in the entorhinal cortex was correlated with the Euclidean distance component of a vector to the goal. During travel periods, posterior hippocampal activity increased as the path to the goal became longer, but at decision points, activity in this region increased as the path to the goal became closer and more direct. Importantly, sensitivity to the distance was abolished in these brain areas when travel was guided by external cues. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the hippocampal formation contains representations of both the Euclidean distance and the path distance to goals during navigation. These findings argue that the hippocampal formation houses a flexible guidance system that changes how it represents distance to the goal depending on the fluctuating demands of navigation.

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  • The hippocampus mask was a combination of right mid and posterior sections, a priori based on Howard et al. 2014.

    “The hippocampus mask was a combination of right mid and posterior sections (a priori based on the results of Howard et al. 2014).”

    From Hippocampal and Retrosplenial Goal Distance Coding After Long-term Consolidation of a Real-World Environment (2019) · cites this paper as Howard et al. 2014

  • Distance tracking is not automatic and requires goal-directed navigation.

    “such distance tracking is not automatic and requires goal-directed navigation.”

    From Hippocampal and Retrosplenial Goal Distance Coding After Long-term Consolidation of a Real-World Environment (2019) · cites this paper as Howard et al. 2014

  • While Howard et al. (2014) found a positive correlation between posterior right hippocampal activity and distance, the present study observed a negative correlation in recently learned environments.

    “However, while Howard et al. (2014) found a positive correlation between posterior right hippocampal activity and distance, we observed a negative correlation in the recently learned environments.”

    From Hippocampal and Retrosplenial Goal Distance Coding After Long-term Consolidation of a Real-World Environment (2019) · cites this paper as Howard et al. 2014

  • The observation that distance tracking was specific to navigation routes and not present in control routes is consistent with prior evidence that such distance tracking is not automatic and requires goal-directed navigation.

    “The observation that this was specific to navigation routes and not present in control routes is consistent with prior evidence (Howard et al. 2014) that such distance tracking is not automatic and requires goal-directed navigation.”

    From Hippocampal and Retrosplenial Goal Distance Coding After Long-term Consolidation of a Real-World Environment (2019) · cites this paper as Howard et al. 2014

  • The correlation of hippocampal activity to distance to goal during travel periods in recently learned environment agrees with prior fMRI reports of similar coding and supports models which argue the hippocampus computes information about the future path to goal for navigational guidance.

    “The correlation of hippocampal activity to distance to goal during travel periods in navigation routes in the recently learned environment agrees with prior fMRI reports of similar coding (Viard et al. 2011; Sherrill et al. 2013; Howard et al. 2014; Balaguer et al. 2016) and supports models which argue the hippocampus computes information about the future path to goal for navigational guidance (Er”

    From Hippocampal and Retrosplenial Goal Distance Coding After Long-term Consolidation of a Real-World Environment (2019) · cites this paper as Howard et al. 2014

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Authors
Howard, L. R., Javadi, A. H., Yu, Y., Mill, R. D., Morrison, L. C., Knight, R., Loftus, M. M., Staskute, L., & Spiers, H. J.
Affiliations
  • German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DE)
  • University College London (GB)
  • University of St Andrews (GB)
  • University of Hertfordshire (GB)
Corresponding author
Spiers, Hugo J.
ORCID
Venue
Current Biology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-06
Volume
24
Issue
12
Pages
1331-1340
ISSN
0960-9822 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.cub.2014.05.001
PMC
PMC4062938
OpenAlex
W2098497273
Cited by
298
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
FWCI
11.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Current Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (acceptedVersion)
  • University of Hertfordshire Research Archive (University of Hertfordshire) (acceptedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • DZNE Pub (submittedVersion)
  • University of Hertfordshire Research Archive (University of Hertfordshire) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • James S. McDonnell Foundation
  • Wellcome Trust (094850/Z/10/Z, 094850)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Spatial Cognition and Navigation
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Keywords
hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, path distance, Euclidean distance, spatial navigation, goal-directed navigation, vector representation, medial temporal lobe, external cues, spatial memory
MeSH terms
Adult, Cues, Hippocampus, Humans, London, Male, Orientation, Temporal Lobe, Entorhinal Cortex, Young Adult, Spatial Navigation

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