Extrahippocampal contributions to spatial navigation in humans: A review of the neuroimaging evidence

Spatial navigation is a crucial everyday skill, which when impaired leads to a significant decrease in quality of life. In humans, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has provided extensive insights into the neural underpinnings of navigation skills. Whereas the hippocampus has been recognized as the prime region underpinning navigation abilities, by providing a cognitive map of the environment, imaging studies have also implicated a range of other brain regions. In this review, we provide an overview of the fMRI evidence for extrahippocampal contributions to spatial navigation. We show that the parahippocampal cortex, retrosplenial cortex, dorsal striatum, and the posterior parietal cortex provide important complementary functions, and ultimately form part of a functional network that regulates successful way-finding behavior.

Automated summary

Spatial navigation is a crucial everyday skill, and functional magnetic resonance imaging has provided insights into the neural underpinnings of navigation abilities beyond the hippocampus, implicating other brain regions such as the parahippocampal cortex, retrosplenial cortex, dorsal striatum, and posterior parietal cortex. These regions play important complementary roles in regulating successful way-finding behavior.