Why some people are better navigators

The part of the brain that tells us the direction to travel when we navigate has been identified by scientists, and the strength of its signal predicts how well people can navigate. In other words, the researchers have found where our ‘sense of direction’ comes from in the brain and worked out how to measure it using functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI. The latest research reveals that the part of the brain that signals which direction you are facing, called the entorhinal region, is also used to signal the direction in which you need to travel to reach your destination. This part of the brain tells you not only which direction you are currently facing, but also which direction you should be facing in the future. In other words, the researchers have found where our ‘sense of direction’ comes from in the brain and worked out a way to measure it using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This type of ‘homing signal’ has been thought to exist for many years, but until now it has remained purely speculation. The entorhinal region is one of the first parts of the brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease, so the findings may also help to explain why people start to get lost in the early stages of the disease. The strength and consistency of brain signals from the entorhinal region noticeably influenced people’s performance. If you get lost after taking too many turns, this may be because your brain could not keep up and failed to adjust your facing and goal directions.