Prefrontal Dynamics Associated with Efficient Detours and Shortcuts: A Combined Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetoencenphalography Study

Abstract

Central to the concept of the “cognitive map” is that it confers behavioral flexibility, allowing animals to take efficient detours, exploit shortcuts, and avoid alluring, but unhelpful, paths. The neural underpinnings of such naturalistic and flexible behavior remain unclear. In two neuroimaging experiments, we tested human participants on their ability to navigate to a set of goal locations in a virtual desert island riven by lava, which occasionally spread to block selected paths (necessitating detours) or receded to open new paths (affording real shortcuts or false shortcuts to be avoided). Detours activated a network of frontal regions compared with shortcuts. Activity in the right dorsolateral PFC specifically increased when participants encountered tempting false shortcuts that led along suboptimal paths that needed to be differentiated from real shortcuts. We also report modulation in event-related fields and theta power in these situations, providing insight to the temporal evolution of response to encountering detours and shortcuts. These results help inform current models as to how the brain supports navigation and planning in dynamic environments.

Backtracking during navigation is correlated with enhanced anterior cingulate activity and suppression of alpha oscillations and the ‘default-mode’ network

“…on participants' accuracy in finding the correct path. We found a significant effect of change type in both fMRI and MEG tasks (fMRI: F 1,20 = 35.03, p < 0.001; MEG: F 1,23 = 13.04, p < 0.001), a significant effect of magnitude in the fMRI task only (fMRI: F 1,20 = 9.77, p = 0.005; MEG: F 1,23 = 3.61, p = 0.07), and a significant interaction in both fMRI and MEG (fMRI: F 1,20 = 8.15, p = 0.01; MEG: F 1,23 = 8.87, p = 0.007), for details see [13].…”

“…The details of the functional scan can be found in Javadi et al . [13]. A T1-weighted high-resolution structural scan was acquired after the functional scans (repetition time = 12 ms, echo time = 5.6 ms, 1 × 1 × 1 mm resolution).…”

“…To explore the human brain regions engaged in backtracking as well as the fine-grained temporal neuronal dynamics, we combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), as well as magnetoencephalography (MEG), with a virtual reality (VR)-based environment (‘LavaWorld’) in which participants navigated a desert island containing hidden treasure (goal objects) with paths constrained by lava, which had the capacity to shift and open new paths (shortcuts) or close others (detours). In prior analysis of this data we examined the neural responses to changes in the maze layout—detours and shortcuts [13]. Here we examine spontaneous backtracking events with the prediction that brain regions associated with planning, self-driven error-correction and re-engagement in the ongoing task will be involved.…”

Striatal and hippocampal contributions to flexible navigation in rats and humans

“…Intact hippocampal function is necessary for place learning in a plus-maze task as well (Packard and McGaugh, 1996). Evidence from neuroimaging studies of humans and patients with hippocampal damage further implicates the hippocampus in supporting both place learning and flexible navigation of novel routes and environments (Bohbot et al, 2007;Hartley et al, 2003;Howard et al, 2014;Iaria et al, 2003;Javadi et al, 2019aJavadi et al, , 2019bJavadi et al, 2017;Patai et al, 2019;Spiers et al, 2001aSpiers et al, , 2001bSpiers and Maguire, 2006;Xu et al, 2010).…”

Learning The Knowledge: How London Taxi Drivers Build Their Cognitive Map of London

“…Spiers et al, 2001; Spiers et al, 2001b; Hartley et al, 2003; de Cothi et al, 2020) or a combination of map study with in-situ exploration (e.g. Javadi et al, 2017; Javadi et al, 2019a; Javadi et al, 2019b; Patai et al, 2019; Wiener & Mallot, 2003; Wiener et al, 2004; Spriggs et al, 2018; Warren et al, 2017; Newman et al, 2007). The general assumption is that the method used for learning is efficient, or a standard way of learning the environment.…”