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Poster B in Poster Session B: Tuesday, August 4, 2:00 – 3:45 pm, Kimmel Center, Shorin & Rosenthal Rooms

Attractor dynamics in primate retrosplenial cortex support goal-proximal spatial information processing

Seunghan Lee¹, Sangkyu Son², Maya Zhe Wang³, Benjamin Y Hayden⁴, Seng Bum Michael Yoo², Sung-Phil Kim¹; ¹Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, ²Sung Kyun Kwan University, ³National Institution of Mental Health, ⁴Baylor College of Medicine

Presenter: Seunghan Lee

Goal-directed navigation requires neural circuits that not only represent spatial location but also modulate their computations according to proximity to the goal. Yet how this modulation manifests at the system level — in the collective dynamics of neural populations rather than in individual neurons — remains poorly understood. Here, we recorded from the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) of two macaques performing a maze navigation task and characterized neuronal population dynamics using dynamical system models. We found that the work performed by the system on the neural state (system work) increased as monkeys approached the goal location. Critically, this increase in work was accompanied by stabilization of the system near the goal location. These results suggest that RSC exhibits attracting and stabilizing dynamics near the goal, supporting reliable processing of goal-proximal spatial information during navigation.

Topic Area: Methods, Tools, Theory & Neural Coding