Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42648928›Full record

ReviewTrends in cognitive sciences2026

Cognitive maps as a medium for thought.

Sami R Yousif, Russell A Epstein

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Trends in cognitive sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Sami R YousifDepartment of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. Electronic address: yousif.36@osu.edu.
Russell A EpsteinDepartment of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: epstein@psych.upenn.edu.

Funding

Neural Mechanisms of Landmark-based NavigationR01EY022350 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI RUSSELL A EPSTEIN · 2013 to 2026
$5.7M
Spatial and nonspatial knowledgeR01EY031286 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI EPSTEIN, RUSSELL A · 2021 to 2025
$2.6M
NEI NIH HHS R01 EY022350NEI NIH HHS R01 EY031286
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cognitive maps are essential for navigation, but to what extent are they involved in thinking more broadly? In this opinion article, we examine whether cognitive maps constitute a genuine vehicle for thought and how they relate to the notion of a language of thought. Integrating work from philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience, we suggest that map-like representations offer a distinct, flexible medium for encoding information and exhibit compositionality in both spatial and nonspatial domains. We then consider how dynamic neural mechanisms-replay, theta sequences, and vector computation-may transform map-based representations into sequential routelike formats that interface with cortical systems supporting propositional thinking. Cognitive maps may be complementary to symbolic cognition, jointly enabling flexible human reasoning.

Indexed as

cognitive mapscompositionalityhippocampuslanguage of thoughtreplay

Identifiers

PMID42648928
PMCPMC13573656

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.