Flexible Spatial Tuning of Retrosplenial Cortex Neurons Across Navigational Contexts

The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is a relay hub for sensory and spatial information. Due to its anatomical positioning, RSC is able to integrate both allocentric and egocentric reference frames. Basic characterization has been done in a single task, or context, without direct comparison. Here, we used in vivo electrophysiology to record individual neurons during both free foraging and running on a T-maze track. Comparison confirmed subpopulations of RSC neurons are modulated by speed and other self-motion variables, but vary in receptive field strength across tasks. Neurons showed more robust tuning during track navigation compared to free exploration, indicating changes in self-motion stability based on navigational context. These results suggest that RSC neurons are recruited differently depending on navigational goals and task structure, and provide further insight into the flexibility of the RSC in integrating contextual changes to support task-driven representations of space.