Measuring behavioural and neurological changes of human spatial orientation

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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.