Cited by 495Memory and Neural MechanismsSpatial Cognition and NavigationNeurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms

Space in the brain: How the hippocampal formation supports spatial cognition

Open access
Hartley, Tom, Lever, Colin, Burgess, Neil, O'Keefe, John·2014·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Abstract

Over the past four decades, research has revealed that cells in the hippocampal formation provide an exquisitely detailed representation of an animal's current location and heading. These findings have provided the foundations for a growing understanding of the mechanisms of spatial cognition in mammals, including humans. We describe the key properties of the major categories of spatial cells: place cells, head direction cells, grid cells and boundary cells, each of which has a characteristic firing pattern that encodes spatial parameters relating to the animal's current position and orientation. These properties also include the theta oscillation, which appears to play a functional role in the representation and processing of spatial information. Reviewing recent work, we identify some themes of current research and introduce approaches to computational modelling that have helped to bridge the different levels of description at which these mechanisms have been investigated. These range from the level of molecular biology and genetics to the behaviour and brain activity of entire organisms. We argue that the neuroscience of spatial cognition is emerging as an exceptionally integrative field which provides an ideal test-bed for theories linking neural coding, learning, memory and cognition.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1098/rstb.2012.0510

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  • Some teleost spatial strategies necessarily involve complex learning and memory capabilities and require flexible representational mechanisms, the most remarkable of which is allocentric navigation based on map-like spatial memory.

    “Some of these spatial strategies necessarily involve complex learning and memory capabilities and require the concurrence of flexible representational mechanisms, the most remarkable of which probably is allocentric navigation based on map-like spatial memory”

    From Spatial Cognition in Teleost Fish: Strategies and Mechanisms (2021) · cites this paper as [72]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) describes allocentric representations as a basis for cognitive maps and long-term memory of spatial relationships and routes. It does not address teleosts or establish that their spatial strategies necessarily require complex learning and flexible representational mechanisms. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Such hypothetical memory representations presumably encode the spatial relationships between all known places and landmarks in a common allocentric reference frame or unitary global map, accessible as a whole, and can operate to infer spatial relationships between any represented elements.

    “Such hypothetical memory representations presumably encode the spatial relationships between all the known places and landmarks in a common allocentric reference frame or unitary global map, accessible as a whole, and that can operate to infer the spatial relationships between any of the represented elements.”

    From Spatial Cognition in Teleost Fish: Strategies and Mechanisms (2021) · cites this paper as [72]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • The hippocampus of tetrapods is essential in tasks requiring the formation of a memory of the spatial relationships of multiple elements and cues of the environment and those demanding the flexible expression of previously acquired spatial knowledge.

    “The hippocampus of tetrapods seems to be essential in tasks requiring the formation of a memory of the spatial relationships of multiple elements and cues of the environment and those demanding the flexible expression of previously acquired spatial knowledge [72,73,75,76].”

    From Spatial Cognition in Teleost Fish: Strategies and Mechanisms (2021) · cites this paper as [72]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The medial pallium or hippocampus of land vertebrates plays a central role in allocentric spatial navigation.

    “A considerable amount of evidence shows that the medial pallium or hippocampus of land vertebrates plays a central role in allocentric spatial navigation.”

    From Spatial Cognition in Teleost Fish: Strategies and Mechanisms (2021) · cites this paper as [72]

    The Introduction describes an allocentric spatial system centred on the hippocampus, and the human spatial cognition section says the hippocampus particularly supports allocentric spatial memory. The paper discusses evidence from rodents, primates and humans, but the cited passages do not establish the claim for land vertebrates generally or identify the medial pallium as playing that role. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Hippocampal lesions in mammals, birds, and reptiles produce impairments on spatial tasks that require the use of map-like or relational spatial memory.

    “For example, in mammals [39,57,72,149], birds [97,98,99,150,151,152,153], and reptiles [112,154,155,156,157], the hippocampal lesions produce impairments on spatial tasks that require the use of map-like or relational spatial memory.”

    From Spatial Cognition in Teleost Fish: Strategies and Mechanisms (2021) · cites this paper as [72]

    The Human spatial cognition section reports that hippocampal damage accompanies deficits in spatial orientation and navigation and that the hippocampus supports allocentric spatial memory. The References also list a study of impaired place navigation in rats with hippocampal lesions. Our copy does not establish the claimed lesion-related impairments in birds or reptiles. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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1 of the 219 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Milner A.D., Dijkerman H.C., Carey D.P., Burgess N., Jeffery K.J., O'Keefe J. 1999 Visuospatial processing in a case of visual form agnosia. In The Hippocampal and Parietal Foundations of Spatial Cognition (pp. 443-466. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
  2. Heys J.G., MacLeod K.M., Moss C.F., Hasselmo M.E. Bat and Rat Neurons Differ in Theta-Frequency Resonance Despite Similar Coding of Space. Science 340(6130), 363-367.
  3. Hartley T., Burgess N., Lever C., Cacucci F., O'Keefe J. 2000 Modeling place fields in terms of the cortical inputs to the hippocampus Hippocampus 10(4), 369-379.
  4. Robertson R.G., Rolls E.T., Georges-Francois P., Panzeri S. 1999 Head direction cells in the primate pre-subiculum. Hippocampus 9(3), 206-219. 180.

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Authors
Hartley, T., Lever, C., Burgess, N., & O'Keefe, J.
Affiliations
  • University of York (GB)
  • Durham University (GB)
  • UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (GB)
  • Sainsbury Wellcome Centre (GB)
Venue
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Published
2014-02-05
Volume
369
Issue
1635
Pages
20120510
ISSN
  • 0962-8436 (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-2970
OpenAlex
W2146561158
Cited by
495
References
219
Citations by year
2026: 23 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 41 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 56 · 2016: 42 · 2015: 45 · 2014: 15
FWCI
2.90
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (095811)
  • Medical Research Council
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/G01342X/2, BB/G01342X/1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Spatial Cognition and Navigation
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
Keywords
hippocampal formation, spatial cognition, place cells, head direction cells, grid cells, boundary cells, theta oscillations, spatial representation, neural coding, computational modelling, memory, learning
MeSH terms
Action Potentials, Animals, Cognition, Computer Simulation, Hippocampus, Humans, Models, Neurological, Neurons, Space Perception, Theta Rhythm, Mice, Rats

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