Navigation

What brain structure is critical for cognitive maps?

Hippocampus

What are place cells?

Hippocampal neurons that fire in specific locations

What is a place field?

The region of space where a place cell is active

Are place cells allocentric or egocentric?

Allocentric (world-centered)

What key property do place cells show in new environments?

Remapping

Who discovered place cells and why is it important?

O'Keefe & Dostrovsky (1971); Nobel Prize

Where are grid cells located?

Entorhinal cortex

What is the firing pattern of grid cells?

Hexagonal (triangular) grid across space

What is the main function of grid cells?

provide a coordinate system for spatial navigation, acting like an internal GPS

What navigation process relies on grid cells?

Path integration (dead reckoning)

What do head direction cells encode?

Direction the head is facing

Why are head direction cells like an internal compass?

Work even in darkness, anchored by landmarks

What are border (boundary) cells?

Cells responding to environmental edges

What is the role of border cells in navigation?

Anchor spatial maps to environmental geometry

What is Tolman's Cognitive Map Theory?

Animals form internal map-like representations

What is latent learning?

Learning without reward, shown later

Why were Tolman's detour experiments important?

Showed flexible navigation and shortcuts

What is allocentric navigation?

World-centered, map-based navigation

What brain system supports allocentric navigation?

Hippocampus

What are key properties of allocentric navigation?

Flexible, survives disorientation

What is egocentric navigation?

Self-centered, turn-by-turn navigation

What brain system supports egocentric navigation?

Striatum

What is a key weakness of egocentric navigation?

Disrupted by disorientation

Can allocentric and egocentric systems interact?

Yes, they can operate and compete

What did London taxi driver studies show?

Larger posterior hippocampus

What does this demonstrate about the brain?

Adult neuroplasticity

What is reorientation difficulty an example of?

Information encapsulation

What is information encapsulation?

Limited integration across cognitive systems

What are Aboriginal songlines?

Oral maps encoding navigation routes

Why are songlines important cognitively?

Show powerful non-written spatial mapping