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Zeng YF, Yang KX, Cui Y, Zhu XN, Li R, Zhang H, Wu DC, Stevens RC, Hu J, Zhou N. Conjunctive encoding of exploratory intentions and spatial information in the hippocampus. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3221. [PMID: 38622129 PMCID: PMC11018604 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47570-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus creates a cognitive map of the external environment by encoding spatial and self-motion-related information. However, it is unclear whether hippocampal neurons could also incorporate internal cognitive states reflecting an animal's exploratory intention, which is not driven by rewards or unexpected sensory stimuli. In this study, a subgroup of CA1 neurons was found to encode both spatial information and animals' investigatory intentions in male mice. These neurons became active before the initiation of exploration behaviors at specific locations and were nearly silent when the same fields were traversed without exploration. Interestingly, this neuronal activity could not be explained by object features, rewards, or mismatches in environmental cues. Inhibition of the lateral entorhinal cortex decreased the activity of these cells during exploration. Our findings demonstrate that hippocampal neurons may bridge external and internal signals, indicating a potential connection between spatial representation and intentional states in the construction of internal navigation systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Fan Zeng
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Ke-Xin Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yilong Cui
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Xiao-Na Zhu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Rui Li
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Hanqing Zhang
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Dong Chuan Wu
- Neuroscience and Brain Disease Center, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung City, 404333, Taiwan
- Translational Medicine Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City, 404333, Taiwan
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Ji Hu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Ning Zhou
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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