Anatomical and functional findings in primates suggest the existence of a dedicated parieto-medial temporal pathway for spatial navigation, consisting of both direct and indirect projections from the caudal inferior parietal lobe (cIPL) to the hippocampus and the parahippocampal cortex, with indirect projections relaying through the posterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortex. This neural network is largely unexplored in humans. This study aimed at testing the existence of a parieto-medial temporal pathway for spatial navigation in humans. We explored the cortical connectivity patterns of the parahippocampal place area (PPA), the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and the hippocampus (HC) using resting-state functional connectivity MRI. Our results demonstrate the existence of connections between the medial temporal lobe structures, i.e., PPA and HC, and the angular gyrus (AG), the human homologue of cIPL, as well as between RSC and AG. These connectivity patterns seem to reflect the direct and the indirect projections found in primates from cIPL to the medial temporal lobe. Such a result deserves feasible considerations to better understand the brain networks underpinning human spatial navigation.

Direct and indirect parieto-medial temporal pathways for spatial navigation in humans: evidence from resting-state functional connectivity

Sex Differences in Early Life: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Wayfinding (WF) is the ability to move around efficiently and find the way from a starting point to a destination. It is a component of spatial navigation, a coordinate and goal-directed movement of one's self through the environment. In the present study, the relationship between WF tasks (route tracing and shortcut finding) and individual factors were explored with the hypothesis that WF tasks would be predicted by different types of cognitive, affective, motivational variables, and personality factors. A group of 116 university students (88 F.) were conducted along a route in a virtual environment and then asked first to trace the same route again, and then to find a shortcut between the start and end points. Several instruments assessing visuospatial working memory, mental rotation ability, self-efficacy, spatial anxiety, positive attitude to exploring, and personality traits were administered. The results showed that a latent spatial ability factor (measured with the visuospatial working memory and mental rotations tests) - controlled for gender - predicted route-tracing performance, while self-report measures of anxiety, efficacy, and pleasure in exploring, and some personality traits were more likely to predict shortcut-finding performance. We concluded that both personality and cognitive abilities affect WF performance, but differently, depending on the requirements of the task.

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Tracing a Route and Finding a Shortcut: The Working Memory, Motivational, and Personality Factors Involved.

The Not So Subtle and Status Quo Maintaining Nature of Everyday Sexism

Evolutionary Roots of Women’s Aggression: Causes, Contexts, and Consequences

Introduction The coding of space as near and far is not only determined by arm-reaching distance, but is also dependent on how the brain represents the extension of the body space. Recent reports suggest that the dissociation between reaching and navigational space is not limited to perception and action but also involves memory systems. It has been reported that gender differences emerged only in adverse learning conditions that required strong spatial ability. Methods In this study we investigated navigational versus reaching memory in air force pilots and a control group without flight experience. We took into account temporal duration (working memory and long-term memory) and focused on working memory, which is considered critical in the gender differences literature. Results We found no gender effects or flight hour effects in pilots but observed gender effects in working memory (but not in learning and delayed recall) in the nonpilot population (Women's mean = 5.33; SD= 0.90; Men's mean = 5.54; SD= 0.90). We also observed a difference between pilots and nonpilots in the maintenance of on-line reaching information: pilots (mean = 5.85; SD=0.76) were more efficient than nonpilots (mean = 5.21; SD=0.83) and managed this type of information similarly to that concerning navigational space. In the navigational learning phase they also showed better navigational memory (mean = 137.83; SD=5.81) than nonpilots (mean = 126.96; SD=15.81) and were significantly more proficient than the latter group. Discussion There is no gender difference in a population of pilots in terms of navigational abilities, while it emerges in a control group without flight experience. We found also that pilots performed better than nonpilots. This study suggests that once selected, male and female pilots do not differ from each other in visuo-spatial abilities and spatial navigation.

Gender differences in navigational memory: pilots vs. nonpilots

Effect of professional expertise and exposure to everyday life decision-making on moral choices.

Background Reading a map requires the ability to judge one's position in a large-scale space from information presented in a small-scale representation. Individuals are more accurate and faster in making judgments when the "up" direction on the map is the same as the "forward" direction of the environment, which is when a map is aligned with the perspective of the spatial layout they have learned (alignment effect). The aim of this study was to explore whether military pilots, who have high spatial abilities, would not show the alignment effect compared with nonpilots. Methods Recruited were 20 military pilots and 20 nonpilots. Mean flight hours were 418.75. Nonpilots without flight experience were matched for age and education with pilots. Subjects were asked to learn a map and to perform directional judgments to verify whether the alignment effect was present considering absolute angular errors. Results An ANOVA for mixed designs on absolute angular errors revealed a main "group" effect: pilots performed better than nonpilots (pilots: M = 22.60 ± 5.57; nonpilots: M = 82.59 ± 5.56). A main "directional judgments" effect was also observed: aligned judgements were easier than contra-aligned judgements (aligned, M = 9.277 ± 0.938; contra-aligned, M = 11.004 ± 0.805). ANOVA showed a significant "group × directional judgments" interaction: post hoc comparison showed that contra-aligned were more difficult than aligned judgments for nonpilots. Discussion High visuo-spatial abilities preserved pilots from having alignment effect bias. They performed directional judgments equally well, being less influenced by the increased cognitive effort requested by the changing perspective.Verde P, Angelino G, Piccolo F, Carrozzo P, Bottiglieri A, Lugli L, Piccardi L, Nori R. Spatial orientation and directional judgments in pilots vs. nonpilots. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(10):857-862.

Paolo Carrozzo

Papers

Gender differences in navigational memory: pilots vs. nonpilots

Effect of professional expertise and exposure to everyday life decision-making on moral choices.

Spatial Orientation and Directional Judgments in Pilots vs. Nonpilots.