The seventeenth lecture in the series “The Human Body in Health and Disease” will present the latest findings on how the human brain processes information about its surroundings, time, and space. RNDr. David Levčík, Ph.D., from the Laboratory of Neurophysiology of Memory at the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and PhDr. RNDr. Tereza Nekovářová, Ph.D., from the National Institute of Mental Health, will speak about research and approaches to the treatment of orientation disorders.
Location: Grand Hall of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Národní 3, Prague 1
Reservations: Olga Zimmermannová, olga.zimmermannova@fgu.cas.cz, tel. 778 484 825
Abstract: In order for an organism to orient itself in its environment, the brain must create internal representations of space. The hippocampus plays a key role in this process, organizing relationships between objects and places into so-called cognitive maps. However, the hippocampus processes not only space but also time—for example, the order of events or the time intervals between them. According to one of the newer concepts, the temporal compaction hypothesis, the brain is able to condense temporal information into simpler representations of expected situations. Instead of precisely tracking every step in time, it creates an idea of what is likely to happen next. It’s similar to when we’re driving toward an intersection—the brain anticipates in advance the possibility that we’ll need to slow down or stop. How the hippocampus helps us navigate an ever-changing world, and what happens when it malfunctions, will be the topic of this popular science lecture.
