Rats’ Ability to Learn Space by Simple Observation Investigated in New Research to Better Understand Internal GPS of Humans

Scientists are just a step closer to understanding both the animals' and humans' internal GPS by examining if rats can learn spaces simply by observation.

In a new study, the researchers have demonstrated that rats do not need to explore an environment physically to learn about a particular site-simply watching another rat is enough, a Eurekalert! report said.

Learning through observation has been reported in invertebrates, specifically in bees, such as birds, mammals, and fish.

Discovering new tasks and environments is crucial to survival, not to mention an individual's well-being. According to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Dr. Thomas Doublet, learning through observation is the most typical form of learning from school to everyday life.

Cognitive Mapping Process in the Brain

The new research published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience has demonstrated that humans can navigate spaces and distances by forming cognitive maps.

Essentially, functional cell types have been suggested that underlie the processes of cognitive mapping in the brain, including grid cells, head direction, border cells, and place cells, among others,

A place cell, for instance, is a neuron in the hippocampus that turns active when an animal gets in a specific space called the space field.

The process that's regulating such cognitive maps and the suspected accompanying cells remains inadequately understood, including, whether they can be formed in space that is only observed or if the direct experience of space is required.

Rats' Navigational Power

Rats are the ideal animals to investigate cognitive brain maps as their navigational abilities are popular.

Past research has revealed that the rats' brains create stable place cell maps of an unexplored space only following a direct exploration.

This then, brings the question, of whether rats can learn spaces through observation alone, minus any exploration beforehand.

To seek an answer, Doublet, together with his colleagues developed an observational spatial task that is almost the same as that of the past research.

Two-Part Cage

Describing their work, Doublet said they wanted to find out "whether or not a spatial representation could be obtained remotely. This, he added, is essential to further understand how spatial representations can be produced and stabilized.

The study authors developed a two-part cage comprising an inner and an outer cage, where an observer mouse in the inner cage learned about the site of a food reward only by closely watching a demonstration rat in the outer cage.

Following the observational training, the observer rat could explore the external or outer stage and find the reward.

The observer rats' performance was compared to the naive rats' performance, for instance, rats that needed to search for the reward minus past observational training.

Internal GPS

Doublet noted that the research demonstrates that the cognitive demonstration of a space formed by observation is stable, not to mention can be utilized by the animals to navigate more effectively through observed space.

A similar Medical Xpress report also said that, according to Doublet, their research is a means to understand further how the brain is representing the conspecifics' behavior, but how the internal GPS is also working.

While the findings may be an essential insight to understanding the internal GPS better, he continued explaining that the study does not detail the stable representation exactly or how it is produced.

Whether the same neurons used to represent observed and self-experience remains to be found out, Doublet said.

Related information about humans' internal GPS is shown in John Assaraf's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Rats in Science Times.