Understanding how the brain creates a map of the space around us has implications for research into learning and memory disorders ranging from autism to Alzheimer’s disease, where subjects often have an incorrect perception of space-time and events. Previously, it was thought that only neurons in the visual cortex were able to map the position of moving objects, and that the hippocampus, the memory-making part of the brain, required spatial exploration or a cognitive task in order to contribute.
A new UCLA study has found that hippocampal neurons in rats accurately map the position of a moving object even while the rat is stationary. The results challenge the idea that the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in learning and memory, only encodes a map of space based on movement.
Panel a) shows the rat seated in the midst of augmented reality setup with a green bar of light…
