RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Mental search of concepts is supported by egocentric vector representations and restructured grid maps
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2023.01.19.524704
DO 10.1101/2023.01.19.524704
A1 Simone Viganò
A1 Rena Bayramova
A1 Christian F. Doeller
A1 Roberto Bottini
YR 2023
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2023/01/20/2023.01.19.524704.abstract
AB The human hippocampal-entorhinal system is known to represent both spatial locations and abstract concepts in memory in the form of allocentric cognitive maps. Using fMRI, we show that the human parietal cortex evokes complementary egocentric-like vector representations in conceptual spaces during goal-directed mental search, akin to those observable during physical navigation to determine where a goal is located relative to oneself. Concurrently, grid-like representations, a neural signature of allocentric cognitive maps in entorhinal, prefrontal, and parietal cortices, are restructured as a function of conceptual goal proximity, akin to rodent grid cells firing around reward locations during spatial exploration. These brain mechanisms might support flexible and parallel readout of where target conceptual information is stored in memory, capitalizing on complementary reference frames.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.