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SUMMARY:Cognitive coding in the hippocampal-entorhinal system - Dr Christi
 an Doeller\, Kavli Institute\, NTNU Trondheim\, Norway &amp\; Donders Inst
 itute\, RU Nijmegen\, the Netherlands)
DTSTART:20170519T153000Z
DTEND:20170519T170000Z
UID:TALK71855@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Louise White
DESCRIPTION:The fundamental question in cognitive neuroscience — what ar
 e the key neural coding principles underlying higher-level cognition in hu
 mans — still remains largely unanswered. In my long-term attempt to tack
 le this question\, I use human memory and the neural population code for s
 pace provided by grid and place cells as a model system. I will present ev
 idence from fMRI\, MEG and virtual reality experiments for cognitive codin
 g mechanisms in the hippocampal-entorhinal system\, such as continuous cod
 ing of virtual and mentally simulated space\, hierarchical scaling of memo
 ries\, mnemonic convergence\, and attractor-based integration. Furthermore
 \, I will show how grid-like coding could minimize uncertainty in the envi
 ronment for optimal decision making and how distance is represented in cog
 nitive space. Finally\, I will provide evidence for an early breakdown of 
 the grid-system in a genetic model of Alzheimer’s disease. Identifying n
 eural metrics of cognition could open up the possibility for new technolog
 y to enhance cognition as well as for novel biomarkers for an early detect
 ion of neurodegenerative diseases.\n\n
LOCATION:Ground Floor Lecture Theatre\, Department of Psychology
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