Functional Logic of a Cognitive Brain System for Navigation

It is unusual for cognitive neuroscientists to reach consensus around which computations a brain region implements, what algorithms are used to achieve those computations and how the algorithms are implemented by cells and circuits (i.e., Marr's three levels of analysis). Over the past decade, there has been notable progress in delineating such a unified functional understanding in the Drosophila central complex. In this review, we summarize how the central complex operates as a computational device that calculates the values of angles and two-dimensional vectors important for navigational behavior. Appreciating how these insights were made in Drosophila suggests a roadmap for reaching a similar level of understanding in larger brains.