Neural Dissociation of Cognitive Maps and Graphs in the Human Brain
- 1Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
Abstract
Cognitive maps and graphs offer two distinct ways of organizing knowledge: maps arrange items within a spatial layout, whereas graphs thread them together through experiential transitions. However, spatial proximity and experiential contiguity are typically correlated, and content represented in one format can often be transformed into the other, making their neural representations difficult to disentangle. Here, we orthogonally manipulated Euclidean distance, indexing spatial proximity, and shortest-path distance, indexing experiential contiguity, within the same learned environment. Using fMRI and whole-brain searchlight representational similarity analysis, we identified dissociable representations of these two formats in the human brain. Euclidean distance was represented in the intraparietal sulcus, whereas shortest-path distance was represented in the hippocampal/parahippocampal region and in cortical areas that overlapped substantially with scene-selective regions. ROI analyses further supported the specificity of these representations across regions. Together, these findings provide neural evidence for a dissociation between cognitive maps and cognitive graphs.
Related
- Neural representation of the subjective uncertainty of prediction in the human brain
- Intracranial electrophysiology reveals distinct neural representations of nociception and salience in the human brain
- Representational continuity through cognitive reconfiguration of magnitude networks in the human brain
- Increased Cognitive Load Expands, Stabilizes, and Aligns Visual Representation Across the Human Brain
- Mapping the neural basis of the perception of “flow of time”: interval timing and mental time travel in the human brain
BibTeX
@misc{xu2026neural,
title = {{Neural Dissociation of Cognitive Maps and Graphs in the Human Brain}},
author = {Y. Xu and M. A. B. Hinrichs and R. Bottini and C. F. Doeller},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.09.757922},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.09.757922v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Neural Dissociation of Cognitive Maps and Graphs in the Human Brain
AU - Y. Xu
AU - M. A. B. Hinrichs
AU - R. Bottini
AU - C. F. Doeller
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.09.757922
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.09.757922v1
AB - Cognitive maps and graphs offer two distinct ways of organizing knowledge: maps arrange items within a spatial layout, whereas graphs thread them together through experiential transitions. However, spatial proximity and experiential contiguity are typically correlated, and content represented in one format can often be transformed into the other, making their neural representations difficult to disentangle. Here, we orthogonally manipulated Euclidean distance, indexing spatial proximity, and shortest-path distance, indexing experiential contiguity, within the same learned environment. Using fMRI and whole-brain searchlight representational similarity analysis, we identified dissociable representations of these two formats in the human brain. Euclidean distance was represented in the intraparietal sulcus, whereas shortest-path distance was represented in the hippocampal/parahippocampal region and in cortical areas that overlapped substantially with scene-selective regions. ROI analyses further supported the specificity of these representations across regions. Together, these findings provide neural evidence for a dissociation between cognitive maps and cognitive graphs.
ER -