scholarly journals Do hippocampal pyramidal cells respond to non-spatial stimuli?

Author(s):  
John O'Keefe ◽  
Julija Krupic

There are currently a number of theories of rodent hippocampal function. They fall into two major groups which differ in the role they impute to space in hippocampal information processing. On the one hand, the cognitive map theory sees space as crucial and central, with other types of non-spatial information embedded in a primary spatial framework. On the other hand, most other theories see the function of the hippocampal formation as broader, treating all types of information as equivalent and concentrating on the processes carried out irrespective of the specific material being represented, stored and manipulated. One crucial difference therefore is the extent to which theories see hippocampal pyramidal cells as representing non-spatial information independently of a spatial framework. Studies have reported the existence of single hippocampal unit responses to non-spatial stimuli, both to simple sensory inputs as well as to more complex stimuli such as objects, conspecifics, rewards and time, and these findings been interpreted as evidence in favor of a broader hippocampal function. Alternatively, these non-spatial responses might actually be feature-in-place signals where the spatial nature of the response has been masked by the fact that the objects or features were only presented in one location or one spatial context. In this paper, we argue that when tested in multiple locations, the hippocampal response to non-spatial stimuli is almost invariably dependent on the animal's location. Looked at collectively, the data provide strong support for the cognitive map theory.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Bienkowski ◽  
Farshid Sepehrband ◽  
Nyoman D. Kurniawan ◽  
Jim Stanis ◽  
Laura Korobkova ◽  
...  

AbstractThe subiculum is the major output component of the hippocampal formation and one of the major brain structures most affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Our previous work revealed a hidden laminar architecture within the mouse subiculum. However, the rotation of the hippocampal longitudinal axis across species makes it unclear how the laminar organization is represented in human subiculum. Using in situ hybridization data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas, we demonstrate that the human subiculum also contains complementary laminar gene expression patterns similar to the mouse. In addition, we provide evidence that the molecular domain boundaries in human subiculum correspond to microstructural differences observed in high resolution MRI and fiber density imaging. Finally, we show both similarities and differences in the gene expression profile of subiculum pyramidal cells within homologous lamina. Overall, we present a new 3D model of the anatomical organization of human subiculum and its evolution from the mouse.


Nature ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 328 (6129) ◽  
pp. 426-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.-Y. Hu ◽  
Ø. Hvalby ◽  
S. I. Walaas ◽  
K. A. Albert ◽  
P. Skjeflo ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Loes Ottink ◽  
Marit Hoogendonk ◽  
Christian F. Doeller ◽  
Thea M. Van der Geest ◽  
Richard J. A. Van Wezel

AbstractIn this study, we compared cognitive map formation of small-scale models of city-like environments presented in visual or tactile/haptic modalities. Previous research often addresses only a limited amount of cognitive map aspects. We wanted to combine several of these aspects to elucidate a more complete view. Therefore, we assessed different types of spatial information, and consider egocentric as well as allocentric perspectives. Furthermore, we compared haptic map learning with visual map learning. In total 18 sighted participants (9 in a haptic condition, 9 visuo-haptic) learned three tactile maps of city-like environments. The maps differed in complexity, and had five marked locations associated with unique items. Participants estimated distances between item pairs, rebuilt the map, recalled locations, and navigated two routes, after learning each map. All participants overall performed well on the spatial tasks. Interestingly, only on the complex maps, participants performed worse in the haptic condition than the visuo-haptic, suggesting no distinct advantage of vision on the simple map. These results support ideas of modality-independent representations of space. Although it is less clear on the more complex maps, our findings indicate that participants using only haptic or a combination of haptic and visual information both form a quite accurate cognitive map of a simple tactile city-like map.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document