Spatial navigation by boundaries and landmarks in Williams syndrome in a virtual environment

Abstract

Spatial navigation by humans and other animals engages representations of environmental boundaries as well as featural landmarks. In this paper we examine the use of these two types of information using a virtual reality (VR) task in patients with Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder involving abnormalities in brain regions that support spatial cognition. Our preliminary data suggests that boundary-based navigation is more fragile in this syndrome, compared to control subjects matched for mental and chronological age.