Neuroscience Research on Human Visual Path Integration: Topical Review of the Path Completion Paradigm and Underlying Role of the Hippocampal Formation From a Strategic Perspective

Over the past 30 years, numerous neuroscientific studies involving both human and rodent subjects have investigated the brain regions and networks supporting path integration and sought to identify the underlying neural mechanisms. Although these studies contributed to an increased understanding of path integration, a full picture of the brain mechanisms supporting path integration remains wanting. Hence, the current review was conducted with the aim of presenting an overview of the most notable neuroscientific studies on visual path integration in humans, identifying the commonalities and discrepancies in their findings, and introducing fresh ideas for future research. Specifically, this review focused on studies performed with virtual simulations of the triangle/path completion task and addressed whether or not the hippocampal formation is necessary for human path integration. Based on findings that supported and contradicted the involvement of the hippocampal formation in path integration, it was proposed that the use of different path integration strategies may determine the extent to which the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex are engaged during human path integration. To this end, recent studies investigating the impact of different path integration strategies on behavioral performance and functional brain activity were discussed. Methodological concerns were raised with feasible recommendations for improving the experimental design of future strategy-focused human path integration studies, which can cover cognitive neuroscience research on age-related differences in the role of the hippocampal formation in path integration and Bayesian modeling of the interaction between landmark and self-motion cues. The practical value of investigating different path integration strategies was also discussed briefly from a biomedical perspective.