Primates' brains make visual maps using triangular grids
Sunday, October 28, 2012 - 14:20
in Biology & Nature
Scientists have identified grid cells, neurons that fire in repeating triangular patterns as the eyes explore visual scenes, in the brains of rhesus monkeys. This is the first time grid cells have been detected directly in primates. The finding has implications for understanding how humans form and remember mental maps of the world, as well as how neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's erode those abilities.