Developmental Topographical Disorientation

Giuseppe Iaria; Ford Burles

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2016.07.004

Developmental Topographical Disorientation

Trends Cogn Sci. 2016 Oct;20(10):720-722. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.07.004. Epub 2016 Jul 21.

Authors

Giuseppe Iaria¹, Ford Burles²

Affiliations

¹ NeuroLab, Department of Psychology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada. Electronic address: giaria@ucalgary.ca.
² NeuroLab, Department of Psychology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.

PMID: 27450709
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.07.004

Abstract

Developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) refers to the lifelong inability to orient in extremely familiar surroundings despite the absence of any acquired brain damage or neurological disorder. Here, we describe the findings of this newly discovered condition, and highlight how this phenomenon provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlying human spatial navigation.

Keywords: connectivity; getting lost; hippocampus; navigation; neural network; topographical disorientation.

MeSH terms

Brain Mapping
Confusion / etiology*
Confusion / pathology
Humans
Neuropsychological Tests*
Orientation / physiology
Spatial Behavior* / physiology
Topography, Medical