Identifying representational structure in CA1 to benchmark theoretical models of cognitive mapping

Abstract

AbstractDecades of theoretical and empirical work have suggested the hippocampus instantiates some form of a cognitive map, yet tests of competing theories have been limited in scope and largely qualitative in nature. Here, we develop a novel framework to benchmark model predictions against observed neuronal population dynamics as animals navigate a series of geometrically distinct environments. In this task space, we show a representational structure that generalizes across brains, effectively constrains biologically viable model parameters, and discriminates between competing theories of cognitive mapping.