Two distinct maps discovered in the brain

In a recent study, researchers have uncovered the existence of two distinct maps within the brain’s secondary motor cortex. The research offers a transformative perspective on how the brain orchestrates spatial planning and navigation.

These dual maps – one self-centered and the other world-centered – provide vital insights into how our brains manage complex tasks, from planning movements to understanding our position in the environment.

This remarkable breakthrough could have far-reaching implications for understanding a variety of neurological conditions (such as stroke) that impair spatial attention and disrupt an individual’s ability to navigate their surroundings.

The research opens new avenues for targeted therapies that could enhance recovery and improve quality of life for patients suffering from such conditions.

Dual maps in the brain

“We discovered that the premotor cortex uses a self-centered coordinate system for spatial planning, but that it also encodes a world-centered map that is used for determining the body’s current position in the world,” said Dr. Jeffrey Erlich, Group Leader at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at UCL.

“This self-centered and world-centered information is combined in individual neurons in a multiplicative way, which makes it easier to disentangle downstream.”

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, introduces a novel task that allowed the researchers to differentiate between self-centered and world-centered reference frames using machine learning techniques.

The experts recorded neural activity from the frontal orienting field (FOF), a part of the secondary motor cortex in rats, to decode this information.

How the brain transitions between maps

“Imagine being asked where the nearest coffee shop is. You could say ‘walk forward and turn left’ (self-centered directions) or ‘walk North then East’ (world-centered directions),” said Dr. Erlich.

“We want to understand how the brain transitions between these reference frames and transforms them into action.”

The task involved carefully training rats to place their nose into a designated starting porthole, after which a light would illuminate to indicate the target porthole.

This setup required the rats to focus on the visual cue as a guide for their next move, enhancing their understanding of the spatial layout.

Following an auditory cue, the rats then moved to the target porthole to receive a reward, reinforcing the connection between the cues and their actions.

The crucial waiting period between the appearance of the visual cue and the auditory signal allowed the researchers to closely monitor neural activity.

This pause provided an opportunity to distinguish between the brain’s planning phase and the subsequent action, enabling the experts to determine whether the frontal orienting field (FOF) was using a self-centered or world-centered map for spatial planning during the task.

Map found in the frontal orienting field

“By adding the right amount of complexity to our task, we were able to have good experimental control over the timings. This approach allowed us to tease apart the different dimensions of representation,” noted Dr. Erlich.

Interestingly, the researchers discovered a world-centered map in the frontal orienting field, a finding that had not been previously reported.

“We were surprised to find a world-centered map in FOF as this has never been reported before. We want to explore what this position information is being used for and under what circumstances it becomes functionally relevant,” said Dr. Erlich.

Brain maps and spatial attention

Brain maps play a crucial role in shaping how we perceive, navigate, and interact with the world. They are essential for motor control, sensory perception, and spatial awareness, representing the relationships between our bodies and our environment.

In this study, the discovery of self-centered and world-centered maps offers a new understanding of how the brain processes different types of spatial information.

These two maps work in tandem, allowing the brain to plan movements and navigate through space, reflecting its incredible adaptability.

Gaining a deeper understanding of how these maps are formed and maintained could provide critical insights into neurological conditions that impair spatial awareness.

This knowledge may pave the way for new therapies aimed at improving spatial attention and aiding recovery in patients with conditions like hemispatial neglect.

Broader implications of the study

The research team is now focused on exploring how these dual maps function during tasks involving world-centered instructions, as well as investigating how the brain plans more complex sequences of movements.

The findings could have significant implications for understanding the links between spatial attention and neurological disorders, with the potential to inform new treatments for conditions such as stroke.

The study is published in the journal JNeurosci.

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