The neuropsychological correlates of urban navigation: A meta-analysis of 27 years of functional neuroimaging studies

Navigating urban environments demands sophisticated cognitive processing due to their structural complexity, dynamic stimuli, and the need for flexible spatial strategies. Despite extensive psychobiological research, the precise large-scale neural substrates supporting spatial navigation in urban environments remain incompletely understood, partly due to methodological variability across studies. Advances in functional neuroimaging have enabled detailed brain activity mapping during navigation, highlighting the role of the hippocampal-entorhinal system. However, additional cortical and subcortical areas are implicated, reflecting the multifaceted nature of urban wayfinding involving route- and survey-based strategies. This meta-analysis synthesises 27 years of task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography research, analysing 26 experimental contrasts with 296 healthy adults navigating urban spaces. Using the Signed Differential Mapping-Permutation of Subject Images method, we identified a consistent neural network encompassing bilateral median cingulate cortex, supplementary motor areas, parahippocampal gyri, hippocampi, retrosplenial cortex, precuneus, prefrontal regions, cerebellar lobule VI, and striatum. Sub-analyses revealed both common and distinct activations between route- and survey-based navigation, with shared involvement of parahippocampal place area and retrosplenial cortex, and unique recruitment of right inferior frontal gyrus in route-based, and thalamus and insula in survey-based strategies. No significant influence of sex, age, or sample size was found. These findings advance understanding of how the brain supports navigation in complex urban settings and highlight possible targets for future research into spatial deficits and the development of navigation aids. • Meta-analysis of 26 fMRI and PET contrasts on urban spatial navigation • Identified a consistent frontal-occipito-parieto-temporal brain network in healthy humans • Found distinct neural patterns for route- vs. survey-based navigation strategies • No significant brain functional effects of age, sex, or sample size on findings