Final Report Summary - RECONTEXT (From neurons to behaviour: Context representation and memory reconsolidation in the entorhinal hippocampal system)
In this project, we have been instrumental in translating neural coding mechanisms underlying wayfinding from Nobel-prize awarded rodent electrophysiology to the systems level in humans to examine brain processes supporting spatial navigation and remembering. By combining functional neuroimaging with virtual-reality, we have identified neural mechanisms of spatial mapping which provide a neural context signal for the formation and consolidation of episodic memories and its breakdown in a model of Alzheimer’s disease. We have further shown that memories are not stored in isolation but are rather represented in hierarchical networks within a neural memory space and demonstrated how spatial coding principles provide the key neural mechanisms that enable multiple memories to become organised and consolidated in mnemonic networks for successful decision making.