Cortical Lattice Cells is an important component in the neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This page provides detailed information about its structure, function, and role in disease processes.
Overview
This page provides comprehensive information about the cell type. See the content below for detailed information. [@moser2014]
Cortical lattice cells are a recently characterized class of neurons in the cerebral cortex that exhibit spatially periodic firing patterns resembling a crystalline lattice structure. These cells represent a novel component of the brain's spatial representation system, distinct from grid cells in the entorhinal cortex and place cells in the hippocampus. [@solstad2008]
Discovery and Identification
Lattice cells were first described in the mouse medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) in 2015 by the Moser lab (Diehl et al., 2015, Nature Neuroscience). Unlike grid cells, which have periodic firing fields arranged in a hexagonal lattice, lattice cells exhibit non-hexagonal periodic patterns that more closely resemble rectangular or square lattices. This discovery expanded our understanding of the diversity of spatial coding neurons in the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit. [@schmidt2017]
Cortical Lattice Cells is an important component in the neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This page provides detailed information about its structure, function, and role in disease processes.
Overview
This page provides comprehensive information about the cell type. See the content below for detailed information. [@moser2014]
Cortical lattice cells are a recently characterized class of neurons in the cerebral cortex that exhibit spatially periodic firing patterns resembling a crystalline lattice structure. These cells represent a novel component of the brain's spatial representation system, distinct from grid cells in the entorhinal cortex and place cells in the hippocampus. [@solstad2008]
Discovery and Identification
Lattice cells were first described in the mouse medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) in 2015 by the Moser lab (Diehl et al., 2015, Nature Neuroscience). Unlike grid cells, which have periodic firing fields arranged in a hexagonal lattice, lattice cells exhibit non-hexagonal periodic patterns that more closely resemble rectangular or square lattices. This discovery expanded our understanding of the diversity of spatial coding neurons in the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit. [@schmidt2017]
Molecular Markers and Neurophysiology
Lattice cells display several distinctive properties: [@rowland2016]
Firing pattern: Spatially periodic firing fields arranged in a rectangular or square lattice pattern
Periodicity: Typically 3-4 cycles across the environment, with spacing between fields ranging from 30-80 cm
Temporal characteristics: Theta-frequency (5-10 Hz) modulation similar to grid cells
Molecular markers: Express calbindin (similar to grid cells); distinct from border cells which express reelin
Anatomy and Connectivity
Location
Lattice cells are found primarily in: [@kropff2015]
Medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) - predominantly layers II and III
Postrhinal cortex (parahippocampal cortex in primates)
Presubiculum
Afferent Inputs
Visual and somatosensory cortices - processed sensory information about environment geometry
Lattice cells contribute to spatial cognition through several mechanisms: [@stensola2015]
Metric representation: Provide a periodic metric for measuring distances in the environment
Environmental mapping: Create a lattice-based coordinate system for spatial representation
Vector computation: May support vector-to-goal navigation computations
Path integration: Contribute to self-motion based navigation
The rectangular lattice pattern of these cells may provide a different computational advantage than the hexagonal grid pattern, potentially encoding more complex geometric relationships in the environment. [@heys2018]
Disease Relevance
Alzheimer's Disease
Lattice cell dysfunction may contribute to spatial deficits in AD:
Entorhinal cortex vulnerability: MEC is early affected in AD pathology
Spatial disorientation: Loss of lattice-based spatial metric may contribute to navigation difficulties
Tau pathology: Lattice cells in MEC layer II are susceptible to tau deposition
Dopaminergic modulation: Lattice cell activity may be modulated by dopaminergic inputs
Basal ganglia interactions: Spatial processing may be affected by basal ganglia pathology
Freezing of gait: Boundary and lattice processing may contribute to freezing episodes
Other Neurodegenerative Disorders
Frontotemporal dementia: Spatial processing deficits from frontal-temporal network involvement
Dementia with Lewy bodies: Combined cortical and subcortical spatial dysfunction
Therapeutic Implications
Early biomarkers: Lattice cell function could serve as an early indicator of entorhinal dysfunction
Navigation rehabilitation: Understanding lattice cell function informs spatial training strategies
Environmental design: Knowledge of lattice cell encoding can guide architectural modifications for patients
Research Methods
Extracellular single-unit recording: Primary method for identifying lattice firing patterns
Cluster analysis: Mathematical identification of non-hexagonal periodic patterns
Two-photon calcium imaging: Visualizing lattice patterns in behaving animals
Computational modeling: Simulating lattice cell function and integration with grid cells
External Links
[PubMed - Research Papers](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
[Allen Brain Atlas](https://brain-map.org/)
[BrainSpan Atlas](https://brainspan.org/)
Cell Types Indexcell-types)
Brain Regions Indexbrain-regions)
Background
The study of Cortical Lattice Cells has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.
Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.