Measuring behavioural and neurological changes of human spatial orientation

找路是一项复杂的行为，对我们的日常生活至关重要。这种行为主要是由个体形成对环境的心理表征的能力支持的，即认知图谱。认知地图对于有效的导航至关重要，因为一旦形成，它们就允许我们沿着环境中的任何可用路线到达任何目标位置，包括以前没有走过的路线。虽然与人类形成认知地图的能力有关的行为和神经机制大多已知，但到目前为止，与这种基本认知技能的延展性和改善有关的机制仍不清楚。这一建议的主要目的是研究提高儿童和年轻人形成认知地图的能力对行为和神经的影响；在这两个特定人群中进行测试将能够验证这一普遍假设，即在儿童开始通过大范围环境中的认知地图发展其定向能力的关键发展阶段，空间定向技能的延展性更高。为了实现这些目标，我们将进行一系列研究，以测量在新开发的认知训练计划(在类似视频游戏的虚拟环境中)之后的行为和神经变化，旨在提高形成认知地图的能力。在接受培训计划之前和之后，参与者将进行行为评估(包括形成认知地图的能力)，并进行神经成像课程，测量已知对空间定向和导航至关重要的区域中血液含氧量依赖(BOLD)信号的变化(即间接测量神经活动)。我们的研究将具有双重意义：首先，它将记录随着认知地图能力的训练而发生的最初的行为和神经变化，认知地图是有效定向和导航的基础技能；其次，它将提供第一个证据，阐明儿童和年轻人这种重要认知技能的各种可塑性。这项研究计划将对理解行为和神经变化之间的关系至关重要，这是一个特别令人感兴趣的主题，有助于开发技术先进的系统，帮助人类定位和导航大规模空间环境的能力。

Finding the way around is a complex behaviour that is crucial for our daily life. Such behaviour is mostly supported by the ability of the individuals to form a mental representation of the environment, i.e. a cognitive map. Cognitive maps are critical for effective navigation since, once formed, they allow us to reach any target location by following any route available within the environment, including the ones not previously travelled. Although the behavioural and neurological mechanisms related to the human ability to form cognitive maps are mostly known, to date, the mechanisms related to the malleability and improvement of such a fundamental cognitive skill remain unknown. The main objective of this proposal is to examine the behavioural and neurological effects of improving the ability to form cognitive maps in children and young adults; testing in these two specific populations would allow verifying the general hypothesis that malleability of spatial orientation skills is higher at a critical developmental stage in which children are starting to develop their ability to orient by means of cognitive maps in large-scale surroundings. To achieve these goals, we will perform a series of studies to measure behavioural and neurological changes following a newly developed cognitive training program (in a video game-like virtual environment) aiming to improve the ability to form cognitive maps. Before and after undergoing the training program, participants will perform a behavioural assessment (including the ability to form cognitive maps), and a neuroimaging session measuring changes in Blood Oxygenated Level Dependent (BOLD) signal (i.e. indirect measure of neural activity) in regions that are known to be critical for spatial orientation and navigation. The significance of our research will be twofold: first, it will document the very first behavioural and neurological changes occurring with the training of the ability to form cognitive maps, which is a foundational skill for effective orientation and navigation; second, it will provide the very first evidence shedding light on the diverse malleability of such important cognitive skill in children and young adults. This research program will be pivotal for understanding the relationship between behavioural and neurological changes, a topic of particular interest for the development of technologically advanced systems assisting humans with their ability to orient and navigate large-scale spatial surroundings.