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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.03.20.644367

Theta activity supports landmark-based correction of naturalistic human path integration

Naveilhan, C.·Zory, R.·Gramann, K.·Ramanoel, S.
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Abstract

How do humans integrate landmarks to update their spatial position during active navigation task? Using immersive virtual reality and high-density mobile EEG, we investigated the neural underpinnings of landmark-based recalibration during path integration. Our findings reveal that a briefly presented intramaze landmark effectively corrected accumulated homing errors. However, this effect was transient and less optimal when participants were highly confident in their self-motion-based spatial representation suggesting that internal priors hinder the assimilation of novel spatial cues. At the neural level, RSC theta-band activity supported these recalibration processes. When fine adjustments of the spatial representation were sufficient, landmark presentation elicited stronger theta-band activity and greater phase resetting compared to when substantial spatial updating was necessary. Our results also revealed motor-related theta activity that scaled with acceleration during rotational corrections, highlighting the dual role of theta in the flexible integration of multimodal signals, involved in both landmark-based spatial updating and self-motion encoding.

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Naveilhan, C., Zory, R., Gramann, K., Ramanoel, S.. 2025-03-20. Theta activity supports landmark-based correction of naturalistic human path integration. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.20.644367

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