Path integration: how the head direction signal maintains and corrects spatial orientation

Head direction (HD) cells have frequently been regarded as an internal “compass” that can be used for navigation, although there is little evidence showing a link between their activity and spatial behaviour. In a navigational task requiring the use of internal cues to return to a home base location without vision (path integration), we found a robust correlation between HD cell activity and the rat's heading error in their homing behaviour. Furthermore, we observed two different correction processes that animals used to improve performance after an error. The more frequent one consists of `resetting' the cell whenever the animal returns to the home location. However, we found that when large errors occur the HD system has the ability to `remap' and set a new reference frame, which is then used in subsequent trials. We also offer some insight into how these two correction processes operate when animals make an error.