Neuroscience
Landmark sequencing and route knowledge: An fMRI study
Cortex. 2011 Dec 16;
Nemmi F, Piras F, Péran P, Incoccia C, Sabatini U, Guariglia C
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The ability to navigate in a familiar environment mainly relies on route knowledge, that is, a mental representation of relevant locations along a way, sequenced according to a navigational goal. Despite the clear ecological validity of this issue, route navigation and route knowledge have been scarcely investigated and little is known about the neural and cognitive bases of this navigational strategy. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we tested the validity of the predictions based on the main cognitive models of spatial knowledge acquisition about route-based navigation. METHODS: An order judgment task was used with two conditions (route and activity). Subjects were required to detect potential mismatches between a current sensory input and expectations deriving from route and activity knowledge. RESULTS: A medial occipto-temporal (e.g., lingual gyrus, calcarine cortex, fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal cortex) network was found activated during the route task, whereas a temporo-parietal (temporo-parietal junction) and frontal (e.g., Broca's area) network was related to the activity task. CONCLUSIONS: Functional data are congruent with cognitive models of route-based navigation. The route task activated areas related to both landmark identity and landmark order. Data are discussed in view of route-based navigation models.
PMID: 22225882 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- Depression Linked With Impaired Spatial Ability
Depression has a detrimental effect on people's ability to find their way around, according to researchers. Husseini Manji and colleagues compared the performance of 30 depressed patients and 19 healthy controls on a virtual reality spatial navigation...
- First Ever Example Of Teaching By An Animal
A form of teaching by a (non-human) animal has been demonstrated for the first time. No, it wasn’t by a chimp or a dolphin, it was one ant teaching another. Nigel Franks and Tom Richardson at the University of Bristol argue that for a behaviour to be...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Fmri Protocol For Intrinsic Alertness
Revealing the Functional Neuroanatomy of Intrinsic Alertness Using fMRI: Methodological Peculiarities PLoS One. 2011; 6(9): e25453 Clemens B, Zvyagintsev M, Sack A, Heinecke A, Willmes K, Sturm W Abstract Clinical observations and neuroimaging data revealed...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Fmri Study Of Digit Symbol Task
Usui N, Haji T, Maruyama M, Katsuyama N, Uchida S, Hozawa A, Omori K, Tsuji I, Kawashima R, & Taira M. (2009). Cortical areas related to performance of WAIS Digit Symbol Test: a functional imaging study. Neurosci Lett. Jul 21. Many neuropsychological...
- Cognition: Giving Wayfinding Directions
The British Psychological Society's (BPS) Research Digest blog has an interesting post about a study that concerns itself with giving route directions: link...
Neuroscience
Neuropsychology Abstract of the Day: Route Navigation and Route Knowledge
Landmark sequencing and route knowledge: An fMRI study
Cortex. 2011 Dec 16;
Nemmi F, Piras F, Péran P, Incoccia C, Sabatini U, Guariglia C
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The ability to navigate in a familiar environment mainly relies on route knowledge, that is, a mental representation of relevant locations along a way, sequenced according to a navigational goal. Despite the clear ecological validity of this issue, route navigation and route knowledge have been scarcely investigated and little is known about the neural and cognitive bases of this navigational strategy. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we tested the validity of the predictions based on the main cognitive models of spatial knowledge acquisition about route-based navigation. METHODS: An order judgment task was used with two conditions (route and activity). Subjects were required to detect potential mismatches between a current sensory input and expectations deriving from route and activity knowledge. RESULTS: A medial occipto-temporal (e.g., lingual gyrus, calcarine cortex, fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal cortex) network was found activated during the route task, whereas a temporo-parietal (temporo-parietal junction) and frontal (e.g., Broca's area) network was related to the activity task. CONCLUSIONS: Functional data are congruent with cognitive models of route-based navigation. The route task activated areas related to both landmark identity and landmark order. Data are discussed in view of route-based navigation models.
PMID: 22225882 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- Depression Linked With Impaired Spatial Ability
Depression has a detrimental effect on people's ability to find their way around, according to researchers. Husseini Manji and colleagues compared the performance of 30 depressed patients and 19 healthy controls on a virtual reality spatial navigation...
- First Ever Example Of Teaching By An Animal
A form of teaching by a (non-human) animal has been demonstrated for the first time. No, it wasn’t by a chimp or a dolphin, it was one ant teaching another. Nigel Franks and Tom Richardson at the University of Bristol argue that for a behaviour to be...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Fmri Protocol For Intrinsic Alertness
Revealing the Functional Neuroanatomy of Intrinsic Alertness Using fMRI: Methodological Peculiarities PLoS One. 2011; 6(9): e25453 Clemens B, Zvyagintsev M, Sack A, Heinecke A, Willmes K, Sturm W Abstract Clinical observations and neuroimaging data revealed...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Fmri Study Of Digit Symbol Task
Usui N, Haji T, Maruyama M, Katsuyama N, Uchida S, Hozawa A, Omori K, Tsuji I, Kawashima R, & Taira M. (2009). Cortical areas related to performance of WAIS Digit Symbol Test: a functional imaging study. Neurosci Lett. Jul 21. Many neuropsychological...
- Cognition: Giving Wayfinding Directions
The British Psychological Society's (BPS) Research Digest blog has an interesting post about a study that concerns itself with giving route directions: link...