Towards a functional organization of the medial temporal lobe memory system: role of the parahippocampal and medial entorhinal cortical areas.
Whereas substantial recent evidence has suggested to some that the medial entorhinal cortexá (MEC) plays a specialized role in spatial navigation, here we present evidence consistent with a broader role of the MEC in memory. A consideration of evidence on the anatomy and functional roles of medial temporal cortical areas and the hippocampus, and evidence from recordings from MEC neurons in rats performing a spatial memory task, suggest that the MEC may process information about both spatial and temporal context in support of episodic memory.
Eichenbaum
Howard
H
Center for Memory and Brain, Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. hbe@bu.edu
Lipton
Paul A
PA
D000818:Animals; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology