Hippocampal lesions disrupt navigation based on cognitive maps but not heading vectors

John M. Pearce (), Amanda D. L. Roberts and Mark Good
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John M. Pearce: School of Psychology, Cardiff University
Amanda D. L. Roberts: School of Psychology, Cardiff University
Mark Good: School of Psychology, Cardiff University

Nature, 1998, vol. 396, issue 6706, 75-77

Abstract: Abstract Animals can find a hidden goal in several ways. They might use a cognitive map that encodes information about the geometric relationship between the goal and two or more landmarks1. Alternatively, they might use a heading vector that specifies the direction and distance of the goal from a single landmark2. Rats with damage to the hippocampus have difficulty in finding a hidden goal3. Here we determine which of the above strategies is affected by such damage. Rats were required to swim in a water maze to a submerged platform, which was always at the same distance and direction from a landmark. The platform and landmark remained in the same place for the four trials of each session, but they were moved to a new position at the start of a session4. Rats with damage to the hippocampus found the platform more efficiently than did normal rats in the first trial of a session but, in contrast to normal rats, their performance did not improve during a session. Our results indicate that hippocampally damaged rats are able to navigate by means of heading vectors but not cognitive maps.

Date: 1998
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DOI: 10.1038/23941

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