At a Glance
Researchers deciphered how the human brain navigates physical spaces and keeps track of other people in real-world scenarios.
Brain patterns were similar whether people navigated a room or watched others, suggesting that such patterns play a role in awareness of others as well as ourselves.
Scientists used a special backpack to study how a person s brain navigates space and tracks the location of others. Suthana lab, UCLA
People navigate many challenges while moving through the world every day, sometimes without even being conscious of the effort. Research in mice and other animals has found that part of the brain called the medial temporal lobe (MTL) controls navigation in space. But research to date hasn’t been able to measure activity in the MTL during motion in people to see if the same processes are in play.