A precise neuronal mechanism allows the brain to plan future routes to remembered goals
When humans and other animals move through familiar or unfamiliar environments, their brains rely on numerous intricate neural processes to decide which path to take next. Past studies have identified a specific population of cells in the hippocampus, a structure deep within the brain, that appears to play a key role in spatial navigation.
Recent research from Cornell University and University College London has unveiled the brain mechanisms that enable animals to plan future routes to remembered goals. The hippocampus, a crucial brain structure for spatial navigation, houses place cells that become active when an animal visits or thinks about specific locations. These cells often fire in rapid sequences, known as theta sweeps, during theta oscillations, a rhythmic brain activity pattern occurring 4-12 times per second.
Previously, theta sweeps were linked to the mental evaluation of possible future routes. Now, the two research teams suggest that theta sweeps reflect the active mental simulation of potential routes toward remembered goals, which aids animals in planning their future movements and actions. By training rats to navigate a maze and finding sugar water rewards, the Cornell team discovered that the hippocampus produced a pattern of neuronal activity representing potential routes, with stronger activation for routes leading to the reward.
In a similar experiment at UCL, researchers observed that theta sweeps were associated with remembered goals, regardless of the rats' movements or head direction. Moreover, goal-related theta sweeps were stronger before navigation choices leading to the desired destination. These findings reveal a precise neuronal mechanism that allows animals to simulate possible spatial routes, select the most appropriate one, and ultimately reach their destination.
The researchers believe similar mechanisms may operate in other animals, including humans, and could help understand neurological disorders affecting spatial navigation and memory.
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