Neural bases of route-survey processing in topographical memory

Abstract

In the experimental psychology literature (Thorndyke and Hayes-Roth 1982; Ruddle et al. 1997), it is well admitted that recalling the direction to take along a familiar route or pointing to non-visible targets in large-scale environments are based on two different types of mental representations (route vs. survey), which are sustained by partially distinct neural networks. However, the neural bases of the route–survey distinction are poorly explored. Until now, the studies have been conducted in distinct environments (one for each type of representation), or in the same environment learned from different perspectives (from above or by navigation, see for instance, Shelton and Gabrieli 2002). In the present study, participants elaborated both route and survey knowledge of the same environment only from ground-level navigation, which is closer to natural situations. Method