In a recent study published in Nature Human Behaviour, researchers from the University of Birmingham and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich have identified a pattern of brain activity that helps prevent us from getting lost. This is the first time that the location of an internal neural compass, which the human brain uses to orientate itself in space and navigate through the environment, has been pinpointed. The research has identified finely tuned head direction.The brain sends signals that are similar to the neural codes found in rodents, which has implications for understanding diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s where navigation and orientation are affected. Measuring neural activity in humans while they are moving is difficult because existing technologies require participants to stay still. Researchers in this study used mobile EEG devices and motion capture to overcome this challenge. Dr. Benjamin J. Griffiths, the first author, emphasized the importance of keeping track of the direction you are heading in, stating that even small errors in estimating it could lead to significant consequences.Location and direction awareness can be dangerous if not managed properly. Birds, rats, and bats have neural circuitry that helps them navigate, but understanding how the human brain does this is still a mystery. In a study, 52 healthy participants had their brain activity recorded while doing motion-tracking experiments. This allowed researchers to observe brain signals as the participants oriented themselves to cues on computer monitors. Another study involved monitoring signals from the participants’ brains while they moved their heads.The study involved 10 participants who were already undergoing intercranial electrode monitoring for conditions like epilepsy.
During the tasks, participants were asked to move their heads or eyes, and brain signals from these movements were recorded from EEG caps and intracranial EEG (iEEG). The EEG caps measure signals from the scalp, while the iEEG records data from the hippocampus and neighboring regions.
The researchers were able to demonstrate a clear correlation between brain signals and specific movements after adjusting for potential confounding factors in the EEG recordings, such as muscle movement or the participant’s position within the environment.Stay tuned for the directional signal, which could be detected just before physical changes in head direction among participants. Dr. Griffiths also mentioned that isolating these signals allows for a more focused understanding of how the brain processes navigational information and works alongside other cues such as visual landmarks. This approach has opened up new possibilities for studying these features, with potential implications for research into neurodegenerative diseases and for improving navigational technologies in robotics and AI. In future work, the researchers aim to use their findings to explore how the brain navigates through time.Investigate whether similar brain activity plays a role in memory.
