Human hippocampus theta oscillations code goal distance during spatial navigation
2023-05-05
(Press-News.org)
A research team led by Dr. WANG Liang from the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that right hippocampal theta power hierarchically encodes the distance between the current position and a goal destination.
The study was published online on May 5 in Current Biology.
Successful navigation to a goal is crucial for animals in nature as well as for humans in modern life. Computational models show that goal-directed navigation computes the Euclidean distance to the goal. Multi-scale representation of goal distance is extremely efficient and less susceptible to interference from background noise than single-scale coding. However, the neural signatures underlying multi-scale goal coding remain poorly understood, particularly in the human brain.
By examining intracranial electroencephalography recordings from refractory epilepsy patients while performing a virtual spatial navigation task, the researchers found that high theta power (6–9 Hz) of the right hippocampus was significantly modulated by goal distance and decreased as participants approached the goal.
According to the researchers, this goal distance modulation showed gradual changes along the hippocampal longitudinal axis, with posterior hippocampal theta power becoming more tightly coupled to the goal distance.
Cognitive processing characteristics are eventually determined by the temporal hierarchy of brain regions. The researchers also found that the neural timescales showed a gradual increase from the posterior to the anterior hippocampus.
"This is the first study to investigate the electrophysiological neural signatures of goal distance in humans," said Dr. WANG, corresponding author of the study.
The results provide empirical evidence for a multi-scale goal distance representation in the human hippocampus, and link the hippocampal processing of spatial information to its intrinsic temporal dynamics.
This study was supported by the STI2030-Major Projects and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, among others.
END
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2023-05-05
The language used to communicate fertility awareness should be more empathetic and target both men and women, finds a new study involving UCL researchers.
The review, published in Human Reproduction Open, gives five recommendations on how to promote fertility awareness in a more positive way.
While education about fertility is not intrinsically controversial, finding the right language to address the topic can be difficult – with the risk of causing negative effects such as anxiety, culpability, and stigma.
After reviewing previous studies and literature on the subject, the team were particularly keen to resolve issues around language that could evoke feelings of personal blame, ...
2023-05-05
The implementation of effective policies at local and regional level, and the cooperation of all countries in the Mediterranean Sea basin is urgently needed to successfully reverse the environmental problems in this marine area. This is evidenced by a report carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) presented in the European Parliament by oceanographer Patrizia Ziveri, who stresses the need to urgently fight against the growing pollution caused by marine litter and plastics in the Mediterranean, to improve current legislation and to monitor new pollutants that ...
2023-05-05
Two researchers from the University of Bonn have been awarded a Proof of Concept Grant by the European Research Council (ERC) as part of a program designed to help researchers translate their ideas from previous ERC projects into commercial applications. Biologist Prof. Dr. Bernardo S. Franklin from the University Hospital Bonn and physicist Prof. Dr. Simon Stellmer will thus each receive €150,000 over a period of around one year.
Prof. Dr. Bernardo S. Franklin from the Institute for Innate Immunity and the ImmunoSensation2 Cluster of Excellence studies hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which develop into different blood cells through ...
2023-05-05
Just a few months ago, Anna Maria Coclite and her team from the Institute of Solid State Physics at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) presented the results of their research as part of Coclite’s ERC Starting Grant project “SmartCore”. They had succeeded in developing the three-in-one “smart skin” hybrid material, which closely resembles human skin by simultaneously sensing pressure, moisture and temperature and converting them into electronic signals. With 2,000 individual ...
2023-05-05
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), commonly called the “King of Grass,” is a legume grown in many parts of the world as a source of animal fodder. It is prized in the forage industry for its high protein content and biomass yield. Recently, alfalfa protein has found applications in aquaculture, pet food industry and human diet. Furthermore, it is seen as an environmentally beneficial crop, with positive impacts on biodiversity and soil nitrogen conservation.
Alfalfa produces two seed types—hard and non-hard—with no obvious visible differences. Unfortunately, the hard seeds ...
2023-05-05
Lithium-air batteries, also known as lithium-oxygen batteries, are candidates for the next generation of high-energy electricity storage devices. Their theoretical energy storage capacity is ten times that of conventional lithium-ion batteries of the same weight, but they are not yet chemically stable enough to provide a reliable solution. Now a newly launched collaborative research project in which a team from the University of Oldenburg, Germany, led by chemist Professor Dr. Gunther Wittstock is participating is testing ...
2023-05-05
Conditions such as coeliac disease and Parkinson’s disease could be detected in principle up to 10 years earlier than they are currently, suggests a new study by UCL researchers.
The study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, reviewed existing evidence on how people’s use of healthcare changed in the weeks, months and years ahead of the diagnosis of a range of conditions. This detectable change in healthcare use indicates the condition’s “diagnostic window” – that is, the point at which diagnosis in some patients may theoretically be possible.
While ...
2023-05-05
Scientists' Hubble Space Telescope observations of the young star, TW Hydrae may signal new planets under construction.
In 2017 astronomers reported discovering a shadow sweeping across the face of a vast pancake-shaped gas-and-dust disk surrounding the red dwarf star. The shadow isn't from a planet, but from an inner disk slightly inclined relative to the much larger outer disk – causing it to cast a shadow. One explanation is that an unseen planet's gravity is pulling dust ...
2023-05-05
Aston Medical School has been given full approval by the General Medical Council (GMC), meaning they can award degrees to graduating students for the first time this year.
The Medical School at Aston University completed the GMC’s rigorous quality assurance process, which began in 2016. The decision, ratified by the GMC’s Council, means Aston Medical School can be added to the list of UK bodies able to award a primary medical qualification.
The approval means that from this summer, medical graduates from Aston University will be added to the medical register and will be able to join the UK’s healthcare workforce ...
2023-05-05
QIC-DVP, an entity of Qatar Insurance Group, the leading insurance provider in the Qatar and MENA region, has launched E-Motion with Deep Longevity. It will enable the populace to measure their customers' psychological age, improve mental health, and increase longevity from the comfort of their home.
The assessment-based and AI-powered digital application has been developed with Deep Longevity's Psychological Age . The technology aims to reinforce mental resilience and wellbeing.
Psychological age, calculated using a proprietary ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Human hippocampus theta oscillations code goal distance during spatial navigation
