Neurons in the human entorhinal cortex map abstract emotion space

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Abstract

Abstract When animals move through space, neurons in their entorhinal cortex activate periodically at multiple locations to form a map of the spatial environment. These grid cells may also map non-physical, conceptual spaces to support various other complex behaviors. Here, using intracranial recordings in neurosurgical patients performing an emotional memory task, we find that neurons in the human medial temporal lobe activate in a grid-like pattern across a two-dimensional feature space characterized by emotional valence and arousal. These neurons were different from cells tuned solely to valence or arousal, were preferentially located in the entorhinal cortex, and exhibited theta-phase locking. Our observation of grid-like neuronal activity during emotional processing in humans supports the idea that the neural structure of cognitive maps generalizes beyond spatial navigation.

Authors 5

1. Salman E. Qasim corresponding

   Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

   Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

2. Peter Christoph Reinacher Aachen Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT)

   University of Freiburg · University Medical Center Freiburg · Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg

   Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology

   Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

   Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, Aachen, Germany

3. Armin Brandt

   University of Freiburg · University Medical Center Freiburg

   Affiliation as printed

   Epilepsy Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg

   Epilepsy Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

4. Andreas Schulze‐Bonhage

   University of Freiburg · University Medical Center Freiburg

   Affiliation as printed

   Epilepsy Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg

   Epilepsy Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

5. Lukas Kunz corresponding

   University Hospital Bonn

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn

   Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany