Scientists conducted a virtual experiment on rats and discovered a new function of the hippocampus

As part of the experiment, scientists placed rats on treadmills located in boxes. on their walls were

projected images that createdillusion of a labyrinth. The rodents had to pass it and take the “reward” - sugar water. To find it, they had to take into account their own position in space and the distance between themselves and the objects around them. The scientists also conducted a series of experiments on individual individuals to understand how the responses of neurons in the hippocampus change as they explore the maze.

The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible fororientation in space and short-term memory. It contains the so-called neurons of the place that help us remember the environment. The hippocampus is also the first region of the brain to be impaired by Alzheimer's or other diseases associated with memory loss, says Jason Moore, a former University of California research fellow and lead author of the study.

“So it’s important to understand its capabilities, flexibility and limits,” he adds.

As the results showed, neurons encryptedinformation about the position in space, the angle of the body in relation to the "prize", the direction and distance that has been traveled. Scientists consider this an important finding, because it was previously thought that the hippocampus was only responsible for the position in which the body was located. They also noticed that neurons better and more reliably remember the path through the maze as they gain experience.

In the future, Jason Moore plans to conduct similarexperiments on rats and people with memory impairments. This will help clarify the effectiveness of virtual reality tests for early diagnosis and study the benefits of treatments.

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