Disruption of the anterior thalamic head direction signal following reduction of the hippocampal theta rhythm.

There is overlap between the structures containing head direction (HD) cells and those mediating the hippocampal theta rhythm, and both signals are thought to play an important role in spatial navigation. Previous research has shown that reversible inactivation of the medial septum attenuates hippocampal theta activity and disrupts path integration-based navigation. Although the HD signal reflects navigational performance, it is unclear whether theta rhythm contributes to the direction-specific activity of HD cells.