Mapping function

摘要

Patterns of connectivity differ among hippocampal CA3 subregions, indicating that there may be corresponding differences in function. Two new studies demonstrate functional heterogeneity along the transverse axis of the CA3 and suggest that proximal CA3 neurons (those close to the dentate gyrus) may contribute to pattern separation, whereas distal CA3 neurons may have a role in pattern completion.During memory encoding, neural networks store 'representations' - associations between particular patterns of inputs and specific experiences - in a process known as pattern separation. For example, populations of hippocampal place cells use environmental and self-motion cues to form representations of an animal's location in its environment.