Cognitive and Neurophysiological Representations of Impossible Space [CoNRIS]

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Klaus Gramann; Dr. Christopher Hilton
• Subject Area: Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience ; Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 511678193

Spatial navigation is one of the most fundamental abilities to survival that mobile species have evolved. The human brain contains a host of neural systems that combine together to form a spatial representation of the environment to enable successful navigation. Whilst research in recent decades has revealed much about these neural systems, the format of the integrated cognitive representation is less well understood. Two dominant theories exist: cognitive map and cognitive graph theory. Cognitive map theory suggests that spatial information is encoded in a global Euclidean reference frame, such that metric relationships between places are interdependent. Cognitive graph theory on the other hand describes spatial knowledge as independent chunks of information, that are linked together by experience (e.g. the post office and the bakery are linked by a left turn and a 100-meter walk). In this project, we aim to investigate: (1) whether humans integrate spatial knowledge into single or multiple representations; (2) if the format of those representations conform to the principles of cognitive map and/or cognitive graph theory; and (3) how different sensory modalities contribute to spatial knowledge by contrasting brain dynamics during full mobile with navigation of identical environments in stationary setups. To achieve these objectives, we will bring together key experimental methods that have previously been used separately to investigate spatial navigation behaviour. First, the recording of brain activity in physically moving participants as compared to stationary protocols to examine the neural systems involved with different aspects of navigation; the use of the impossible space paradigm to present participants with space that would never be possible the real world (enabled by virtual reality); the use of head mounted displays (HMDs) and motion tracking to enable participants to physically move during the navigation experiments. In four experiments using the impossible space paradigm, participants will navigate environments where the metric information derived from vision and movement either corresponds to their spatial location (possible) or does not correspond to their spatial location (impossible; e.g. a triangle trajectory where the turning angles do not sum to 180°). The logic behind the impossible space paradigm is that these spaces should prove difficult for participants to represent on a behavioural and neural level under cognitive map theory, but not under cognitive graph theory. These navigation tasks will be presented either on stationary desktop setups or fully mobile HMD setups to contrast the role of movement and body-based feedback to the brain’s navigation network. In order to study brain activity, we will use state-of-the-art mobile EEG recording and analysis techniques, alongside tracking of eye-movements and physical position in space for a multimodal approach to understanding human navigation.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants