认知地图的神经环路基础

空间记忆是人类认识世界和改造世界的基本认知能力,与我们的生活息息相关.无论是寻找常用的生活物件,如钥匙和手机,还是外出上班、购物和约会,都依赖我们对周围环境的记忆.截止到目前已有大量研究从不同水平探讨大脑如何表征其周围环境,但仍然有很多未解的问题.本文系统综述了基于脑成像和神经电生理技术开展的空间记忆研究进展.通过梳理以往研究中有关生物体在构建认知地图的神经结构和神经活动规律,提出了海马结构和新皮层对空间记忆的编码环路和表征机制,并在此基础上对未来研究进行了展望.

Neural Circuit Basis of Cognitive Map

Spatial memory is one of basic cognitive abilities for human to explore the world. It is ubiquitous in our thinking and speaking about our living environment. We essentially rely on spatial knowledge about the external environment not only when finding the objects (e.g., keys and cell phones), but also when shopping, working or dating. Given that special memory plays fundamental and important roles in daily life, it is vital to characterize how the brain represents the environment. Using fMRI and electrophysiological techniques to date, many studies have investigated spatial memory processing and neural mechanisms of hippocampus formation and neocortex. In this review, we focus on the key questions about how the brain constructs the cognitive map and which neural circuits are involved for this processing. Future studies to explore neural basis of human spatial memory will need to be highly interdisciplinary and integrative, and may contribute to the diagnosis and intervention of cognitive disorders.