Head direction cells

In neuroscience, we record neural activity over time. We can try to make sense of this data by studying the (low-dimensional) space the activity is constrained to. To identify these spaces, one typically either treats the rows (neurons / spike trains) or the columns (timepoints / population vectors) of the activity matrix as points. In general, these two perspectives will not give the same space, obscuring the underlying structure of the data. Here, we provide a unified framework for thinking about this challenge in neural data. We show that if rows and columns are convex on the space(s),

…has demonstrated that high and low head pitch in rats correlate with distinct head-movement frequencies, which are coupled with breathing frequency, suggesting a potential connection between pitch states and exploration/exploitation behaviors. Additionally, place cells exhibit remapping across low/high-pitch states. In our study using a path-integration paradigm with rats, we found that parameters

…a spatial cognitive map using spatial cells like Place, Grid, and Head Direction cells. Sensory processing guides this map's construction, with the Medial Entorhinal Cortex (MEC) encoding self-motion cues (Path Integration) analogous to the 'where' pathway, while the Lateral Entorhinal Cortex (LEC) integrates sensory inputs analogous to the 'what' pathway. Object-dependent spatial cells, including Object Vector cells, Object Sensitive

…Grid cells, key components of this network, exhibit multiple firing fields that tessellate the environment as a function of the animals’ location. At the population level, the dynamics of the grid cell network reside on a toroidal manifold, irrespective of the sensory inputs or behavioral state, in agreement with continuous attractor networks (CAN) theories.However, the developmental origin of toroidal topology remains to be determined. Using Neuropixels 2.0 we obtained high-density population recordings in

…specialized cell types such as place cells, grid cells, and head direction cells. Avian species like titmice, quails, barn owls, streaked shearwaters, and black-capped chickadees also exhibit these cell types. Despite pigeons demonstrating remarkable spatial cognition and navigation abilities, the neural basis remains poorly understood. Previous research suggests that spatial coding in neurons, such as place cells, can be influenced by factors like distances from walls or env

…functions of the EC such as grid cells, border cells, speed cells or head-direction cells. These cell types have been characterized based on their firing properties, however, still lack a molecular profile. Similarly, detailed anatomical cell types have been described within the different EC layers, including ste

…researchers to identify a vast array ofcells with functional properties (place cells, splitter cells,etc). In the present work, we aim at investigating whether theactivity of those cells derive from the anatomy of the hippocampalformation and the properties of neuron or derive instead from theactual behavior of the animal. To do so, we simulated an agentnavigating inside an 8-shaped track, making alternating choices(T-maze alternating task). We designed a random network, based onthe reservoir computing paradi

…Head direction cells in distributed brain regions receive a range of sensory inputs, including proprioceptive, vestibular, and somatosensory information, but visual input is particularly important for aligning their responses to environmental landmarks. To investigate how population-level heading responses are aligned to visual input, we recorded from the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) of head-fixed mice in a moving environment using two-photon calcium imaging. RSC receives strong inputs from both visual

…are believed to underlie grid cells and head direction cells that maintain periodic representations of position and orientation, respectively. However, these representations can be achieved with any number of activity bumps, and the consequences of having more or fewer bumps are unclear. We construct 1D ring a

…In parallel, head-direction cells of the anterodorsal thalamic nucleus which fire for a specific direction of the animal’s head, remain coordinated during sleep. The HD signal is crucial for spatial navigation and the anterior thalamus is necess

Neural responses are variable: even under identical experimental conditions, single neuron and population responses typically differ from trial to trial and across time. Recent work demonstrated that this variability can be modulated by specific stimulus features, most prominently quenched by stimulus onset. However, it is unknown how ubiquitous this effect is across stimulus features, and indeed whether it exists in brain areas to which classical neural coding approaches cannot be applied due to the lack of trials with repeatable experimental stimuli. To address these questions, we develop a

Neural responses are variable: even under identical experimental conditions, single neuron and population responses typically differ from trial to trial and across time. Recent work has demonstrated that this variability has predictable structure, can be modulated by sensory input and behaviour, and bears critical signatures of the underlying network dynamics and computations. However, current methods for characterising neural variability are primarily geared towards sensory coding in the laboratory: they require trials with repeatable experimental stimuli and behavioural covariates. In additi

…these neurons are known as grid cells. However, although our world is three-dimensional (3D), the 3D volumetric representation in MEC remains unknown. Here we recorded MEC cells in freely-flying bats and found several classes of spatial neurons, including 3D border cells, 3D head-direction cells, and neurons with multiple 3D firing-fields. Man