A neural circuit for spatial orientation derived from brain lesions

In spite of the widespread study of spatial cognition, there is still disagreement regarding the components of the involved brain network. We used 65 case-studies of topographical disorientation and a database of more than 1,000 resting-state brain scans to define the brain regions involved in spatial cognition. The lesion network mapping analysis yielded a brain map of spatial cognition, that includes classical regions of navigation such as the hippocampus and medial parietal components, as well as regions which were missing from previous descriptions of the system, such as the medial prefrontal cortex. Our study provides much needed insight into the brain system underlying spatial orientation, as well as a reference brain map for future studies of spatial cognition.

Now published in Cerebral Cortex.