Spatial Navigation

Question 1

Morris’ Watermaze Task

Answer 1

circular pool of milky water with a slightly submerged platform to test rat’s navigation and orientation;
for a normal rat this task becomes easier (finding the platform faster) after multiple trials

Question 2

Random navigation

Answer 2

random search if no prior knowledge is available

Question 3

Taxon navigation

Answer 3

being able to visually locate the goal (e.g. seeing the platform)

Question 4

Praxic navigation

Answer 4

executing the same motor program if starting position is always the same

Question 5

Locale navigation

Answer 5

learning the location of the platform in relation to the environment, building a cognitive map:

• egocentric: cues relative to the subject
• allocentric: cues in relation to each other

Question 6

Hippocampus

Answer 6

located in the medial temporal lobe

4 subregions: CA1, CA2, CA3 and the dentate gyrus

Question 7

Evidence for hippocampus involvement in spatial learning (London taxi drivers)

Answer 7

Hippocampus activates when drivers recall routes, more activation in the right hemisphere
With more experienced drivers, the activation is greater and more spread (the hippocampus grows bigger when well trained)

Question 8

Place code

Answer 8

Finding out where one is located

Question 9

Place cells

Answer 9

located in area CA1
correlation in firing of single neurons and location in an arena,
neuron fired even in darkness
different neuron for each location

Question 10

head direction cells

Answer 10

located in post subiculum area of the hippocampus
correlation in firing of single neurons and rotation of the head,
neuron fired in darkness
different neuron for each angle of rotation

Question 11

Grid cells

Answer 11

related to path-integration coordinates to determine distance to travel
not well understood yet