How the brain learns routes and remembers places
Navigational learning and memory: Cognitive graphs, active decision making, and brain network dynamics
This project looks at how actively exploring helps people's brains form route-like maps and remember places, including people with attention challenges like ADHD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11319763 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would take part in navigation tasks where you move through or view new environments and make choices about where to go. While you do these tasks, researchers will measure your behavior and record brain activity using imaging and other neural methods. The team will analyze how brain regions like the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and striatum communicate during active decision-making and learning. Findings will be compared across people with different attention profiles to understand differences in how route knowledge is built.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults willing to travel to the study site who can complete navigation tasks and brain imaging, including people with ADHD or typical attention profiles.
Not a fit: People who cannot undergo MRI scans (for example, due to metal implants or severe claustrophobia) or who are unable to attend in-person visits are unlikely to participate or benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to better ways to support people who struggle with spatial learning or attention, such as tailored training or cognitive strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work shows hippocampus and prefrontal regions are important for navigation, but applying cognitive 'graph' models and linking them to active decision-making is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chrastil, Elizabeth — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Chrastil, Elizabeth
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.