Publication Date
2021
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Wallace, Douglas G.
Degree Name
M.A. (Master of Arts)
Legacy Department
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Many individuals suffer from navigational deficits and subsequent topographical disorientation, yet there is debate over how navigation to a goal is represented within the brain. Early research suggests animals represent their environment in a Cartesian coordinate system which manifests into a cognitive map. Current research suggests animals use a vector-based system which gives rise to a directional response. These studies examined responses to the environment when there was a specific end goal (i.e., hidden platform, food reward, etc.), versus an animal’s internal goal, home-base. The first study used mice to examine the influence of visual and tactile cues on the organization of home-base establishment during exploration sessions with cues present, with cues removed, and with delayed testing one week later. The second study examines how the cue and apparatus orientation can manipulate a mouse’s representation of their home-base across the same exploration session procedure. The tactile-visual cue was observed to anchor the location of the home-base. However, when the tactile-visual cues were rotated around the room, mice did not exhibit a directional or place response to their home-base. This indicates the nature of the representation of a home-base may be outside of a vector- and Cartesian-based coordinate system. Understanding environmental representation will facilitate further research on possible treatments for navigation deficits in humans, including topographical disorientation.
Recommended Citation
Schaeffer, Ericka Ann, "Cue polarization and representation in mouse home-base establishment" (2021). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 7638.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/7638
Extent
94 pages
Language
eng
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
