Research Projects

The hippocampus, located in the Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL), is involved in critical functions like memory, spatial navigation, and emotion. Its anatomical segregation causes functional gradients in the hippocampus, with the septal hippocampus having higher spatial resolution and the temporal hippocampus showing lower resolution. Proximal area CA1 is involved in spatial information processing, while distal area CA1 processes non-spatial information. However, the study suggests that these functional gradients may not hold true under all conditions. The study aims to test whether different subregions of the hippocampus change encoding strategies with cognitive demands. The hypothesis is that increased spatial cognitive demands will lead to recruitment of parts of the hippocampus previously not thought to be involved in spatial information processing. The study will use simultaneous neuronal recordings from neurons along the septotemporal and proximodistal extent of area CA1 while rats forage in environments with increasing spatial encoding demands. The findings will fundamentally change our understanding of information processing in the hippocampus, potentially aiding in early detection and mitigation of neurodegenerative disorders involving the hippocampus. By understanding the relationship between cognitive demands and anatomical connectivity, clinical strategies can be devised for early detection and mitigation of neurodegenerative disorders.