ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

心理科学进展 ›› 2023, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (9): 1642-1664.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2023.01642

• 研究前沿 • 上一篇    下一篇

空间导航能力个体差异的多层次形成机制

张凤翔1, 陈美璇1, 蒲艺2(), 孔祥祯1,3()   

  1. 1浙江大学心理与行为科学系, 杭州 310058
    2马克斯·普朗克经验美学研究所神经科学系, 法兰克福 60322, 德国
    3浙江大学医学院附属邵逸夫医院, 杭州 310016
  • 收稿日期:2023-01-02 出版日期:2023-09-15 发布日期:2023-05-31
  • 通讯作者: 蒲艺,孔祥祯 E-mail:yi.pu@ae.mpg.de;xiangzhen.kong@zju.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    中央高校基本科研业务费专项资金(2021XZZX006);国家自然科学基金(32171031);科技创新2030资助(2021ZD0200409)

Individual differences in spatial navigation: A multi-scale perspective

ZHANG Fengxiang1, CHEN Meixuan1, PU Yi2(), KONG Xiang-Zhen1,3()   

  1. 1Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
    2Department of Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany
    3Department of Psychiatry of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
  • Received:2023-01-02 Online:2023-09-15 Published:2023-05-31
  • Contact: PU Yi, KONG Xiang-Zhen E-mail:yi.pu@ae.mpg.de;xiangzhen.kong@zju.edu.cn

摘要:

空间导航活动时刻在我们的生活中发生, 导航能力在人群中表现出显著的个体差异, 其衰退也是阿尔兹海默症等认知障碍脑疾病的重要早期行为学表现。以往研究考察了空间导航能力个体差异的认知行为特征和相关神经基础, 但关于个体差异的成因尚不明确。本研究通过综述近10年的研究进展, 从二因素论的视角出发, 总结了空间导航个体差异的关键遗传和环境因素及其作用机制, 初步建立了空间导航的遗传/环境−大脑网络−认知和行为的通路模型, 并对未来发展方向提出展望。该通路模型的完善有助于我们理解空间导航的形成与发展规律, 为相关因果机制研究提供理论基础和全面视角, 同时对进一步探索空间导航在认知障碍等脑疾病中的潜在临床应用具有重要的应用价值。

关键词: 空间导航, 个体差异, 遗传基础, 认知地图, 环境因素

Abstract:

Spatial navigation is an essential aspect of daily life that exhibits significant individual differences. The decline in spatial navigation is considered a critical early behavioral manifestation of various brain disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the biological and environmental origins of such differences remain poorly defined. In this study, we conducted a multi-scale review of the latest research on spatial navigation to explore the formation mechanisms of individual differences.
We summarized the multi-level individual differences in spatial navigation from a measurement perspective, including personal long-term experience or learning in real environments, virtual reality technology, and online games and big data. We then reviewed and discussed the formation mechanisms from both genetic and environmental factors. In terms of genetic factors, we found that the heritability of spatial ability was approximately 60%. Several candidate genes, including Bcl-2, S100B, and APOE and a few other genes, were proposed to affect spatial navigation behaviors. The mechanism of action studies gradually shifted from the biological perspective to the brain mechanism perspective. The hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and parahippocampal place area (PPA) were identified as important brain regions where genetic factors act on spatial navigation. However, the complete neurogenetic pathway model has not been established yet.
Regarding environmental exposure, cultural background, living environment, early life experience, navigation software use, and lifestyle were found to shape individuals' spatial navigation ability. However, the environmental associations were relatively superficial. Related studies mostly focused on the structure and function of the hippocampus, and further investigation of its mechanism of action, particularly the brain mechanism, is still lacking.
To overcome these limitations, we propose a gene/environment-brain-behavior model to map the links between genetic and environmental factors and individual differences in spatial navigation. Future research could be developed in three directions. Firstly, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) can be used to comprehensively reveal the key genetic variations influencing spatial navigation ability. Bioinformatics methods, such as polygenic score or polygenic risk score, genetic correlation, and enrichment analysis, can explore the key pathways of related genetic factors. Secondly, gene-environment interaction studies can reveal the complex pathways among genetics, environment, cognition, and behavior, and big data can help make it possible. Finally, brain imaging genetics research can correlate genetics, brain imaging, cognition, and behavior. Through international multicenter collaborations and cohort databases, spatial navigation-related imaging metrics can be correlated with multimodal genetic information to comprehensively reveal key genes and genetic mechanisms affecting brain networks of spatial navigation.
In conclusion, integrative analysis of multi-omics and clinical data would be promising for future studies concerning the complex pathways of spatial navigation. Results will help us understand the development patterns of spatial navigation and further explore the potential clinical applications relevant to brain diseases.

Key words: spatial navigation, individual differences, genetic basis, cognitive map, environmental factors

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