关键词: 方向感, 空间导航, 前庭系统, 压后皮质, 视觉皮层

Abstract: The sense of direction is a core capacity enabling humans and animals to navigate through space. However, previous research has lacked systematic exploration of the cognitive processes and neural mechanisms underlying its multimodal information integration. A review of the literature reveals that individuals establish, maintain, and update their sense of direction through the independent encoding and optimal integration of multimodal inputs—including visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive cues—as well as their interaction with spatial memory. On the neural level, various spatially tuned cells within the vestibular–visual pathway dynamically coordinate to provide the physiological basis for this function. Future research should expand the scope of information integration to investigate how auditory, olfactory, and tactile cues contribute to sense of direction, thereby advancing a more comprehensive multimodal integration model. It is also essential to develop computational neural models of directional processing to inform the next generation of navigation and orientation technologies in fields such as aviation and driving. Furthermore, exploring the mechanisms by which individuals verbally express their sense of direction may help optimize information transfer in human–machine cooperative navigation systems.

Key words: Sense of Direction, Spatial Navigation, Vestibular System, Retrosplenial Cortex, Visual Cortex