Abstract
Head direction (HD) cells in the rodent brain have been investigated for a number of years, providing us with a detailed understanding of how the rodent brain codes for allocentric direction. Allocentric direction refers to the orientation of the external environment, independent of one’s current (egocentric) orientation. The presence of neural activity related to allocentric directional coding in humans has also been noted but only recently directly tested. Given the current status of both fields, it seems beneficial to draw parallels between this rodent and human research. We therefore discuss how findings from the human retrosplenial cortex (RSC), including its “translational function” (converting egocentric to allocentric information) and ability to code for permanent objects, compare to findings from the rodent RSC. We conclude by suggesting critical future experiments that derive from a cross-species approach to understanding the function of the human RSC.
Highlights
A handful of behavioral studies have examined the role of head orientation in human navigation (Prévost et al, 2003; Wiener et al, 2011), yet a great deal is known about the function of head orientation in rodent navigation
After a more detailed examination of the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), we conclude that in both rats and humans, the RSC is involved in integrating selfmotion cues with stable, distal landmark cues so that egocentric viewpoints can be mapped onto an allocentric frame of reference
Retrosplenial cortex and allocentric direction clear existence of head direction (HD) cells in primates indicate that the existence of HD cells in humans is likely, but to date the closest evidence we have comes from two separate fMRI studies (Baumann and Mattingley, 2010; Vass and Epstein, 2013)
Summary
A handful of behavioral studies have examined the role of head orientation in human navigation (Prévost et al, 2003; Wiener et al, 2011), yet a great deal is known about the function of head orientation in rodent navigation. After a more detailed examination of the RSC, we conclude that in both rats and humans, the RSC is involved in integrating selfmotion cues with stable, distal landmark cues so that egocentric viewpoints can be mapped onto an allocentric frame of reference. Retrosplenial cortex and allocentric direction clear existence of HD cells in primates indicate that the existence of HD cells in humans is likely, but to date the closest evidence we have comes from two separate fMRI studies (Baumann and Mattingley, 2010; Vass and Epstein, 2013).
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