Human Brains Have Internal GPS

A type of brain cell known to help animals keep track of their location has been found for the first time in humans, according to a new study.

Researchers discovered the neurons, called grid cells, because they were activated in the brains of study participants exploring a virtual environment. The cells function like an internal GPS system, and may also play a role in memory, the researchers said.

“Grid cells tell a person where they are in their environment,” said study researcher Joshua Jacobs, of Drexel University in Philadelphia, adding that in animals the cells provide a kind of measuring stick for navigation. [10 Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp]

 

In the late 1970s, scientists found neurons in the hippocampus (the brain’s memory center) that were active in rats when the animals were in a particular place. The cells were named place cells, and humans were later found to have them, too.

In 2005, scientists discovered grid cells, which provide input to place cells, in rats, and later, in bats and monkeys. A functional magnetic resonance imaging study hinted that grid cells existed in humans, but the new study is the first to find solid evidence for them.

A screenshot from the virtual reality navigation game used to identify human grid cells.
Credit: Joshua Jacobs et al
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Human Brains Have Internal GPS