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A model of topological mapping of space in bat hippocampus
Author(s) -
Hoffman Kentaro,
Babichev Andrey,
Dabaghian Yuri
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
hippocampus
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.767
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1098-1063
pISSN - 1050-9631
DOI - 10.1002/hipo.22610
Subject(s) - hippocampal formation , neuroscience , place cell , hippocampus , encode , computer science , spatial memory , topology (electrical circuits) , representation (politics) , neurophysiology , path integration , space (punctuation) , integrator , spatial cognition , biology , mathematics , cognition , working memory , politics , political science , law , gene , operating system , computer network , biochemistry , bandwidth (computing) , combinatorics
The mammalian hippocampus plays a key role in spatial learning and memory, but the exact nature of the hippocampal representation of space is still being explored. Recently, there has been a fair amount of success in modeling hippocampal spatial maps in rats, assuming a topological perspective on spatial information processing. In this article, we use the topological approach to study the formation of a 3D spatial map in bats, which produces several insights into neurophysiological mechanisms of the hippocampal spatial leaning. First, we demonstrate that, in order to produce accurate maps of the environment, place cell should be organized into functional groups, which can be interpreted as cell assemblies. Second, the model suggests that the readout neurons in these cell assemblies should function as integrators of synaptic inputs, rather than detectors of place cells' coactivity, which allows estimating the integration time window. Lastly, the model suggests that, in contrast with relatively slow moving rats, suppressing θ‐precession in bats improves the place cells capacity to encode spatial maps, which is consistent with the experimental observations. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.