Grid cells encode reward distance during path integration in cue-rich environments

Grid cells encode reward distance during path integration in cue-rich environments | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Grid cells encode reward distance during path integration in cue-rich environments Sebastien Royer, Satoshi Kuroki This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7534017/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The medial entorhinal cortex supports both path integration and landmark anchoring, but how these computations interact during goal-directed navigation is unclear. We show that grid cells dissociate from landmarks and instead encode reward distance when mice perform a path integration task on a cue-rich treadmill. Grid cell population activity reset at rewards and shifted coherently across trials, consistent with continuous attractor dynamics realigned by rewards. Furthermore, grid cells exhibited reduced spatial scales, broadened theta frequency distributions, and altered temporal coordination. These phenomena were captured by a theta interference model incorporating cell competition and two sets of theta oscillating inputs whose frequencies shifted apart. Switching to cue-based navigation stabilized the firing fields and partially restored grid scale, theta frequencies and temporal structure. These results demonstrate that MEC circuits flexibly reset to encode goal-directed trajectories, and suggest that continuous attractor and interference mechanisms normally cooperate but can decouple under path integration demands. Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Learning and memory/Spatial memory Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Computational neuroscience/Network models grid cells entorhinal cortex path integration spatial navigation theta oscillations Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files satoshimanuscriptsupplementaryMaterials.pdf Supplementary Materials Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7534017","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":529146027,"identity":"c0babc42-056d-4572-b10a-3b13903d990d","order_by":0,"name":"Sebastien 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