Reconciling neuronal representations of schema, abstract task structure, and categorization under cognitive maps in the entorhinal-hippocampal-frontal circuits

Learning leads to a neuronal representation of acquired knowledge. This idea of knowledge representation was tradi-tionally developed as a cognitive map of spatial memory represented in the hippocampus. The framework of cognitive mapping has been extended in the past decade to include not only spatial memory, but also non-spatial factual and temporal memory. Following this conceptual advancement, a line of recent neurophysiological research discovered such knowl-edge representations not only in the hippocampus, but also in the entorhinal cortex and frontal cortex. Although the distinct terms cognitive map, schema, abstract task structure or categorization were used in these studies, it is likely that these terms can be reconciled as a common mechanism of learned knowledge representations. Future experimental work will be required to differentiate the parametric nature of knowledge representations across brain areas.

Automated summary

Learning leads to the formation of neuronal representations of acquired knowledge, traditionally referred to as cognitive maps in the hippocampus. Recent research has expanded this framework to include non-spatial memory and discovered similar knowledge representations in the entorhinal cortex and frontal cortex.