Grid Cells is an important component in the neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This page provides detailed information about its structure, function, and role in disease processes.
Grid cells are hippocampal-entorhinal neurons that fire at multiple periodic locations across the environment, creating a hexagonal grid-like spatial representation. Discovered in 2005 by Moser and colleagues, grid cells provide a metric for space that is fundamental to navigation and spatial memory.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | Spatial Navigation Cells |
| Location | Medial entorhinal cortex (layer II, III, V), preparasubiculum |
| Cell Types | Stellate cells (layer II), pyramidal neurons (layer III, V) |
| Primary Neurotransmitter | Glutamate |
| Key Markers | Reelin, Wnts, calbindin, zif268 |
Grid cells were discovered in 2005 by the Moser team (May-Britt Moser, Edvard Moser, and their colleague Torkel Hafting), for which they received the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Their work revealed a neural representation of space beyond simple place coding.
Grid cells are concentrated in:
Inputs:
Outputs:
The development and maintenance of grid patterns involves:
Grid cells provide:
Grid cells show early dysfunction in AD:
Clinical manifestations:
The study of Grid Cells has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.
Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.
[1] Hafting T, et al. Microstructure of a spatial map in the entorhinal cortex. Nature. 2005;436(7052):801-806.
[2] Moser EI, et al. Grid cells and the entorhinal spatial map. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008;9(12):874-886.
[3] Moser EI, Moser MB. Grid cells and navigation. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2014;15(7):466-481.
[4] Fyhn M, et al. Grid cells in mice. Hippocampus. 2008;18(12):1230-1245.
[5] Moser EI, et al. Entorhinal grid cells. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2014;37:519-546.
[6] Zugaro M, et al. Grid cells, place cells, and memory. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2015;37:158-165.
[7] Diehl GW, et al. Maturation of grid cell ensemble. Nat Neurosci. 2017;20(2):200-208.
[8] Kropff E, et al. The role of environmental boundaries in navigation. Nat Neurosci. 2015;18(8):1142-1151.
[9] Stella F, et al. Grid cell circuits. Neuroscience. 2019;90:374-385.
[10] Momennejad I. Learning structures: Predictive representations, replay, and hippocampal function. Neuron. 2020;107(5):866-878.