Cognitive and Neurophysiological Representations of Impossible Space [CoNRIS]

空间导航是移动物种进化出来的最基本的生存能力之一。人类大脑包含许多神经系统，它们结合在一起形成环境的空间表征，从而实现成功的导航。虽然近几十年的研究已经揭示了许多关于这些神经系统的信息，但人们对综合认知表征的形式却知之甚少。目前主要有两种理论：认知地图理论和认知图理论。认知地图理论认为，空间信息被编码在一个全局的欧几里得参照系中，因此，地方之间的度量关系是相互依存的。另一方面，认知图理论将空间知识描述为独立的信息块，它们通过经验联系在一起（例如，邮局和面包店通过左转和100米的步行连接在一起）。在这个项目中，我们的目标是研究：(1)人类是否将空间知识整合为单一或多个表征；(2)这些表征的格式是否符合认知地图和/或认知图理论的原则；(3)通过对比完全移动和在固定环境中导航时的大脑动力学，不同的感觉模式对空间知识的贡献。为了实现这些目标，我们将汇集以前分别用于研究空间导航行为的关键实验方法。首先，记录身体活动的参与者的大脑活动，并将其与静止不动的参与者进行比较，以检查与导航不同方面相关的神经系统；使用不可能的空间范式向参与者呈现现实世界中永远不可能的空间（通过虚拟现实实现）；使用头戴式显示器（hmd）和运动跟踪，使参与者能够在导航实验中进行物理移动。在使用不可能空间范式的四个实验中，参与者将导航环境，其中来自视觉和运动的度量信息要么对应于他们的空间位置（可能），要么不对应于他们的空间位置（不可能；例如，一个三角形轨迹，其转弯角度之和不等于180°）。不可能空间范式背后的逻辑是，在认知地图理论下，参与者很难在行为和神经层面上表示这些空间，而在认知图理论下则不然。这些导航任务将在固定的桌面设备或完全移动的HMD设备上呈现，以对比运动和基于身体的反馈对大脑导航网络的作用。为了研究大脑活动，我们将使用最先进的移动脑电图记录和分析技术，同时跟踪眼球运动和身体在空间中的位置，以一种多模式方法来理解人类导航。

Spatial navigation is one of the most fundamental abilities to survival that mobile species have evolved. The human brain contains a host of neural systems that combine together to form a spatial representation of the environment to enable successful navigation. Whilst research in recent decades has revealed much about these neural systems, the format of the integrated cognitive representation is less well understood. Two dominant theories exist: cognitive map and cognitive graph theory. Cognitive map theory suggests that spatial information is encoded in a global Euclidean reference frame, such that metric relationships between places are interdependent. Cognitive graph theory on the other hand describes spatial knowledge as independent chunks of information, that are linked together by experience (e.g. the post office and the bakery are linked by a left turn and a 100-meter walk). In this project, we aim to investigate: (1) whether humans integrate spatial knowledge into single or multiple representations; (2) if the format of those representations conform to the principles of cognitive map and/or cognitive graph theory; and (3) how different sensory modalities contribute to spatial knowledge by contrasting brain dynamics during full mobile with navigation of identical environments in stationary setups. To achieve these objectives, we will bring together key experimental methods that have previously been used separately to investigate spatial navigation behaviour. First, the recording of brain activity in physically moving participants as compared to stationary protocols to examine the neural systems involved with different aspects of navigation; the use of the impossible space paradigm to present participants with space that would never be possible the real world (enabled by virtual reality); the use of head mounted displays (HMDs) and motion tracking to enable participants to physically move during the navigation experiments. In four experiments using the impossible space paradigm, participants will navigate environments where the metric information derived from vision and movement either corresponds to their spatial location (possible) or does not correspond to their spatial location (impossible; e.g. a triangle trajectory where the turning angles do not sum to 180°). The logic behind the impossible space paradigm is that these spaces should prove difficult for participants to represent on a behavioural and neural level under cognitive map theory, but not under cognitive graph theory. These navigation tasks will be presented either on stationary desktop setups or fully mobile HMD setups to contrast the role of movement and body-based feedback to the brain’s navigation network. In order to study brain activity, we will use state-of-the-art mobile EEG recording and analysis techniques, alongside tracking of eye-movements and physical position in space for a multimodal approach to understanding human navigation.