Neural Activity Patterns Underlying Spatial Coding in the Hippocampus

The hippocampus is well known as a central site for memory processing—critical for storing and later retrieving the experiences events of daily life so they can be used to shape future behavior. Much of what we know about the physiology underlying hippocampal function comes from spatial navigation studies in rodents, which have allowed great strides in understanding how the hippocampus represents experience at the cellular level. However, it remains a challenge to reconcile our knowledge of spatial encoding in the hippocampus with its demonstrated role in memory-dependent tasks in both humans and other animals. Moreover, our understanding of how networks of neurons coordinate their activity within and across hippocampal subregions to enable the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of memories is incomplete. In this chapter, we explore how information may be represented at the cellular level and processed via coordinated patterns of activity throughout the subregions of the hippocampal network.