Abstract
As we skillfully navigate through familiar places, neural computations of distances and coordinates escape our attention. However, we perceive clearly the division of space into socially meaningful territories. ‘My space’ versus ‘your space’ is a distinction familiar to all of us. Spatial frontiers are social in nature since they regulate individuals’ access to utilities in space depending on hierarchy and affiliation. How does the brain integrate spatial geometry with social territory? We propose that the action of oxytocin (OT) in the entorhinal–hippocampal regions supports this process. Grounded on the functional role of the hypothalamic neuropeptide in the hippocampal system, we show how OT-induced plasticity may bias the geometrical coding of place and grid cells to represent social territories.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 831-842 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Trends in Cognitive Sciences |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords
- hippocampus
- oxytocin
- resource protection
- social competition
- space
- territorial behavior
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience