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spatial navigation

·February 29, 2024·5 min read

Impaired Spatial Navigation May Signal Early Alzheimer’s

Researchers have pioneered a study using virtual reality (VR) to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s disease through impaired spatial navigation in asymptomatic adults at risk. By testing 100 middle-aged adults with genetic, familial, or lifestyle risk factors for Alzheimer's, the study discovered that spatial navigation difficulties in VR environments precede traditional cognitive decline symptoms.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 27, 2023·4 min read

GPS of the Brain: Marmoset Gaze Reveals New Insights into Spatial Navigation

Researchers have discovered that the common marmoset, a diurnal primate, navigates its surroundings differently from previously studied rats, reflecting its unique ecological adaptations. Marmosets use visual cues, relying on rapid head-gaze shifts while stationary, and minimize head movements while navigating. In contrast, rats use low-velocity head movements and tactile whisker explorations.

This shows an entropic street layout of London

Featured Neuroscience

·April 4, 2022·6 min read

Growing Up in Rural or Suburban Areas Improves Spatial Navigation

People who were raised in rural or suburban areas have better spatial navigation skills than those raised within a city, a new study reveals.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 7, 2021·4 min read

Kids Set Free to Roam on Their Own Feel More Confident Navigating in Adulthood

Children allowed to explore a distance beyond their home either alone or with friends are more confident and accomplished in navigational skills as adults, researchers report.

This is a cartoon of a person standing on top of a car being driven by a mouse, directing neurons with a flag

Featured Neuroscience

·March 10, 2021·3 min read

Where Am I Going? Just Ask Your Subiculum

The subiculum helps route navigation-associated information received by the hippocampus downstream to other areas of the brain.

This shows brain scans with the hippocampus highlighted in orange

Featured Neuroscience

·March 1, 2021·3 min read

Noisy Brain Activity Contributes to Aging-Related Navigation Impairments

Overactive hippocampal activity may explain why some older people have trouble with spatial navigation and learning.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 5, 2019·3 min read

How the brain remembers where you’re heading to

Theta oscillations help the brain remember locations to which a person is trying to navigate.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 24, 2019·3 min read

How single neurons and brain networks support spatial navigation

Brain oscillations may help explain the link between individual neurons and larger scale networks for understanding spatial navigation.

This is a mountain view from the VR head set

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 24, 2019·6 min read

Virtual reality can spot navigation problems in early Alzheimer’s disease

People with mild cognitive impairment who had positive biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease in their cerebrospinal fluid performed worse on virtual reality navigation tasks. Virtual reality which incorporates navigational tasks could prove a helpful tool in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease for those at risk.

This shows a load screen for Sea Hero Quest

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 24, 2019·6 min read

The mobile game that can detect Alzheimer’s risk

Sea Hero Quest, a navigation themed cell phone game, is helping researchers to identify those at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Those with a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's perform worse on the spatial navigation tasks in the game, taking more time and less efficient routes to checkpoint goals.