Parietal cortex and a spatial cognitive map

Abstract

A framework is proposed, based on the assumption that the posterior parietal cortex stores long-term memory information in the form of a spatial cognitive map, reflecting the operation of perceptual representations of relations among spatial features and landmarks as well as the operation of attentional processes to bind spatial features and landmarks and to selectively attend to the critical features that form spatial cognitive maps. Evidence in support of this assumption, based on an analysis of specific properties of neural systems that store long-term memory information, is presented.