Leveraging virtual reality to understand human spatial navigation


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Access through your institution Buy or subscribe The use of virtual reality (VR) environments for studying human cognition has opened new avenues of research, particularly in the field of


spatial cognition. These simulated environments enable researchers to investigate place coding in the brain, specifically place cells and grid cells. The discovery of place coding cells is


so scientifically relevant that the researchers behind it were awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize. These cells have been studied extensively in rodents that are allowed to move freely and in other


animals. However, when we investigate neural mechanisms of spatial navigation in humans, the task becomes complicated for practical and ethical reasons. Traditional methods of studying


spatial cognition in humans used 2D low-level stimuli, such as a dot at a specific location on a computer screen. These studies also instructed participants to be at rest while performing


the task, to accommodate the limitations and precautions associated with the measurement of cellular signals. Although non-invasive methods such as scalp electroencephalogram exist, they are


limited to more superficial areas of the brain and do not afford cellular resolution. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through


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subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES ORIGINAL ARTICLE * Ekstrom, A. et al. Cellular networks underlying human spatial navigation. _Nature_ 425, 184–188 (2003)


Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  RELATED ARTICLE * Stangl, M. et al. Mobile cognition: imaging the human brain in the ‘real world’. _Nat. Rev. Neurosci._ 24, 347–362 (2023) Article  PubMed 


Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA Yinqi Huang Authors * Yinqi Huang View


author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Yinqi Huang. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The author


declares no competing interests. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Huang, Y. Leveraging virtual reality to understand human spatial


navigation. _Nat Rev Psychol_ 2, 662 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-023-00243-3 Download citation * Published: 06 October 2023 * Issue Date: November 2023 * DOI:


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