Right hemisphere of J. Piłsudski's brain, lateral view.
Credit: public domain
[From article]
It has long been known that some people are better at navigating than others, but until now it has been unclear why. The latest study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and published in Current Biology, shows that the strength and reliability of 'homing signals' in the human brain vary among people and can predict navigational ability.
[. . .]
"This type of 'homing signal' has been thought to exist for many years, but until now it has remained purely speculation," explains Dr Hugo Spiers (UCL Experimental Psychology), who led the study. "Studies on London cab drivers have shown that the first thing they do when they work out a route is calculate which direction they need to head in. We now know that the entorhinal cortex is responsible for such calculations and the quality of signals from this region seem to determine how good someone's navigational skills will be."
[. . .]
The entorhinal region is one of the first parts of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease, so the findings may also help to explain why people start to get lost in the early stages of the disease. The researchers hope to develop their simple simulation task so that it might be used to aid early diagnosis and monitor the progression of the disease.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-12-scientists-homing-brain-people.html
Scientists locate homing signal in brain, explaining why some people are better navigators
December 18, 2014
Provided by University College London
[From article]
It has long been known that some people are better at navigating than others, but until now it has been unclear why. The latest study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and published in Current Biology, shows that the strength and reliability of 'homing signals' in the human brain vary among people and can predict navigational ability.
[. . .]
"This type of 'homing signal' has been thought to exist for many years, but until now it has remained purely speculation," explains Dr Hugo Spiers (UCL Experimental Psychology), who led the study. "Studies on London cab drivers have shown that the first thing they do when they work out a route is calculate which direction they need to head in. We now know that the entorhinal cortex is responsible for such calculations and the quality of signals from this region seem to determine how good someone's navigational skills will be."
[. . .]
The entorhinal region is one of the first parts of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease, so the findings may also help to explain why people start to get lost in the early stages of the disease. The researchers hope to develop their simple simulation task so that it might be used to aid early diagnosis and monitor the progression of the disease.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-12-scientists-homing-brain-people.html
Scientists locate homing signal in brain, explaining why some people are better navigators
December 18, 2014
Provided by University College London
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