SFN Symposium Registration

Kick off SfN 2025 with Bruker’s 7th Annual Neuroscience Symposium, where leading researchers will share their latest discoveries using cutting-edge, all-optical technologies from Bruker. Hear from experts in the field, connect with your peers, and engage with the Bruker team about new advancements in neuroimaging. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate great science!
This event is open to all SFN 2025 registrants. Doors open at 7PM and presentations begin at 7:30PM. Reception to follow. Spots are limited, so reserve yours today!

Date: Saturday, November 15
Time: 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina – Pacific Ballroom

The anterior cingulate cortex abstracts spatial geometry into action relevance

Speaker: Takashi Kitamura

Abstract: Animals rely on affordances, the meaningful possibilities for action offered by the environment, to navigate and interact with the world. However, how such affordance information arises in the brain remains unclear. Using in vivo one- and two-photon calcium imaging in freely moving conditions, we found that neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) abstract spatial geometry into action-relevant representations. The ACC exhibits a hierarchical categorization of spatial geometry, including boundary, intersection boundary, and connectivity (referred to as spatial concept cells), and about half of these cells show self-object egocentric tuning. In particular, these neurons display different egocentric directions depending on the animal’s behavioral needs in the environment. The activity of these spatial concept cells and their egocentric tuning are maintained across days and across distinct environments. In summary, the ACC integrates abstract representations of spatial geometry with egocentric information to create the meaning of space, which leads to possible choices for action.