title: Isolating pathogenic mechanisms embedded within the hippocampal circuit through regional vulnerability.
abstract: Some of the most common and devastating disorders of the brain target the hippocampal formation. The hippocampal formation is a complex circuit of interconnected regions, and it is assumed that clues into the causes of these disorders are embedded within the circuit. Neuroimaging tools have been optimized to interrogate the malfunctioning hippocampal circuit, and by applying these tools to patients in the earliest stages of disease and to animal models, patterns of regional vulnerability have been established for Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and cognitive aging. More recently, studies have begun deciphering the cellular and molecular reasons underlying regional dysfunction. Collectively, this information clarifies the pathophysiology of these disorders and informs on therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Departments of Neurology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: sas68@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Small
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology