'Conjunction junction' for brain's navigation function
Thursday, July 9, 2015 - 16:00
in Psychology & Sociology
The world we and other animals navigate is complex and non-linear, quite unlike the way a proverbial crow flies. Scientists say our ability to get around its numerous indirect points depends, at minimum, on mapping our position within the environment, knowing routes that take us between locations, and an awareness of the correct actions to initiate at any given time: turn right, turn left, go straight. The retrosplenial cortex is a critical interface for mental mapping and way-finding, according to a new electrophysiological study.