Published By: Sohamhalder227

Interesting facts about your brain GPS and how it works.

Just like your smartphone, your brain has GPS installed to orient your body according to the condition.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System, which is a navigation system based on satellite. These satellites continuously circle the earth and send signals, later the smartphones capture it and tell you about your current location. No places are new to you, just because of GPS, as you can navigate from your home itself. Your brain also possesses such power of navigation and orientation. So how your brain can do it? Let’s find out.

What is brain GPS?

The Hippocampus, an important structure of your brain contains some special cells with the power of navigation. This horse-shoe shape structure sends the signal to let you can your current position and where to go. The hippocampus is also known as the map reader organ of humans. Read on to know how your brain works to find the location and orient you accordingly.

How brain GPS works?

The brain is smart enough to make a huge number of calculations about your location even when you are unconscious. All is done by forming a neural map. It is nothing but sensing the signals from outside and stimulating the cells responsible for navigation. As the signal is matched, there is a spike in brain activity. The wrinkled portion of the brain handles such activities. Research suggests that early men were not so developed to possess such a navigation system, the development took place through evolution.Grid cells are important players behind this system. They generate a coordinating system allowing spatial navigation and position with precision. The Entorhinal cortex, a special region of your brain along with grid cells formulate a neural network about the location. Inside the cortex region, the motor cortex sends out the for initiation of movement, and the sensory cortex receives the signals. Based on the acceptance of signals, grid cell activity spikes. Then they provide information about direction and distance, and a trajectory is formed by internal cues based on the input. There are special cells called place cells, which get activated by grid cells signals. The brain orient yourself accordingly.

What if this region of your brain gets damaged?

The hippocampus is also responsible for memory, so positioning and memory storing act simultaneously in your brain. When the neural system is affected due to accident or aging, amnesia or Alzheimer's disease is observed. The proper understanding of navigational activity is still ongoing. However, it is confirmed that the brain forms a neural map that is associated with memory. That is why, getting lost in any area in older age is considered as one of the initial symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Last, but not least, the discovery of brain GPS and its functioning brought a Nobel prize to scientists in 2014.Understanding the surrounding Is an essential skill for survival nowadays. When you visit a new place your brain identifies some areas as landmarks. Always take care of your brain and trust your memory system. Give proper nutrition to your brain always. If you think that you are losing track while visiting any place or losing memories, always consult a neurologist.