头部方向系统长达数月的稳定性，这一成果由麦吉尔大学Adrien Peyrache团队经过不懈努力而取得。相关论文发表在2026年2月11日出版的《自然》杂志上。

通过纵向追踪同一HD细胞在自由运动小鼠的后耻骨下的活性，研究团队在两个层面上显示了稳定性和可塑性。尽管种群结构在不同的环境和时间中保持高度保守，但种群一致性的微妙变化编码了环境身份。此外，HD系统在其内部表现和外部地标之间建立了独特的，特定于环境的对齐，即使在一次曝光后也能持续数周。这些发现表明，HD系统形成了固定在特定环境中的持久定向记忆。

据悉，空间定向使动物能够通过快速绘制外部世界和记住关键位置来导航它们的环境。在哺乳动物中，头部定向系统是大脑导航系统的重要组成部分。尽管该系统其他区域的神经元调节是不稳定的——例如，海马体位置细胞在天的空间调节变化就证明了这一点——但作为方向感基础的神经元密码的稳定性仍不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: Months-long stability of the head-direction system

Author: Skromne Carrasco, Sofia, Viejo, Guillaume, Peyrache, Adrien

Issue&Volume: 2026-02-11

Abstract: Spatial orientation enables animals to navigate their environment by rapidly mapping the external world and remembering key locations1. In mammals, the head-direction (HD) system is an essential component of the navigation system of the brain2. Although the tuning of neurons in other areas of this system is unstable—evidenced, for example, by the change in the spatial tuning of hippocampal place cells3 across days4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11—the stability of the neuronal code that underlies the sense of direction remains unclear. Here, by longitudinally tracking the activity of the same HD cells in the post-subiculum of freely moving mice, we show stability and plasticity at two levels. Although the population structure remained highly conserved across environments and over time, subtle shifts in population coherence encoded environment identity. In addition, the HD system established a distinct, environment-specific alignment between its internal representation and external landmarks, which persisted for weeks, even after a single exposure. These findings suggest that the HD system forms long-lasting orientation memories that are anchored to specific environments.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-10096-w

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-10096-w