Research conducted by scientists at MIT identified changes which take place in the brain when mice form a mental map of a maze.
The rodents were left to explore a maze for several days, during which time the team analysed the activity of hundreds of neurons.
Place cells, which activate when a mouse reaches a certain location, were active over the course of the sessions, showing that the animal was able to learn and remember the different locations within the maze.
However, the activity of another group of neurons changed, coming to reflect the activity of other neurons forming a network, which resulted in the development of an accurate cognitive map of the maze.
The study confirmed that sleep is crucial for this memory-forming process.