TY - JOUR TI - A neural-level model of spatial memory and imagery AU - Bicanski, Andrej AU - Burgess, Neil A2 - Colgin, Laura A2 - Frank, Michael J VL - 7 PY - 2018 DA - 2018/09/04 SP - e33752 C1 - eLife 2018;7:e33752 DO - 10.7554/eLife.33752 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.33752 AB - We present a model of how neural representations of egocentric spatial experiences in parietal cortex interface with viewpoint-independent representations in medial temporal areas, via retrosplenial cortex, to enable many key aspects of spatial cognition. This account shows how previously reported neural responses (place, head-direction and grid cells, allocentric boundary- and object-vector cells, gain-field neurons) can map onto higher cognitive function in a modular way, and predicts new cell types (egocentric and head-direction-modulated boundary- and object-vector cells). The model predicts how these neural populations should interact across multiple brain regions to support spatial memory, scene construction, novelty-detection, ‘trace cells’, and mental navigation. Simulated behavior and firing rate maps are compared to experimental data, for example showing how object-vector cells allow items to be remembered within a contextual representation based on environmental boundaries, and how grid cells could update the viewpoint in imagery during planning and short-cutting by driving sequential place cell activity. KW - computational model KW - episodic memory KW - spatially selective cells KW - spatial cognition KW - scene construction KW - trace cells JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -