Human neural dynamics of real-world and imagined navigation

Martin Seeber (), Matthias Stangl, Mauricio Vallejo Martelo, Uros Topalovic, Sonja Hiller, Casey H. Halpern, Jean-Philippe Langevin, Vikram R. Rao, Itzhak Fried, Dawn Eliashiv and Nanthia Suthana ()
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Martin Seeber: University of California Los Angeles
Matthias Stangl: University of California Los Angeles
Mauricio Vallejo Martelo: University of California Los Angeles
Uros Topalovic: University of California Los Angeles
Sonja Hiller: University of California Los Angeles
Casey H. Halpern: Stanford University School of Medicine
Jean-Philippe Langevin: University of California Los Angeles
Vikram R. Rao: University of California San Francisco
Itzhak Fried: University of California Los Angeles
Dawn Eliashiv: University of California Los Angeles
Nanthia Suthana: University of California Los Angeles

Nature Human Behaviour, 2025, vol. 9, issue 4, 781-793

Abstract: Abstract The ability to form episodic memories and later imagine them is integral to the human experience, influencing our recollection of the past and envisioning of the future. While rodent studies suggest the medial temporal lobe, especially the hippocampus, is involved in these functions, its role in human imagination remains uncertain. In human participants, imaginations can be explicitly instructed and reported. Here we investigate hippocampal theta oscillations during real-world and imagined navigation using motion capture and intracranial electroencephalographic recordings from individuals with chronically implanted medial temporal lobe electrodes. Our results revealed intermittent theta dynamics, particularly within the hippocampus, encoding spatial information and partitioning navigational routes into linear segments during real-world navigation. During imagined navigation, theta dynamics exhibited similar patterns despite the absence of external cues. A statistical model successfully reconstructed real-world and imagined positions, providing insights into the neural mechanisms underlying human navigation and imagination, with implications for understanding memory in real-world settings.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02119-3

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