News

Advance in understanding spatial navigation: walls, not floors, define space

Faculty of Science and Engineering

7 May 2024

Mouse feeling lost without elevated boundaries. Generated by AI.
Mouse feeling lost without elevated boundaries. Generated by AI.

New research published in Current Biology sheds light on how animals create and maintain internal spatial maps based on their surroundings. The study, led by Dr Guifen Chen from Queen Mary University of London, delves into the brains of mice navigating a two-dimensional virtual reality (VR) environment, revealing the surprising importance of specific visual cues for building and maintaining spatial maps. It reveals that specific visual cues – in this case, elevated walls – are crucial for stabilising the neurons responsible for spatial navigation in virtual reality (VR).

Contact: Dr Guifen Chen
Email: guifen.chen@qmul.ac.uk
Link: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2024/se/advance-in-underst...

Updated by: David Lockwood