Spatial olfactory learning contributes to place field formation in the hippocampus.

ABSTRACT: Spatial encoding in the hippocampus is multifactorial, and it is well established that metric information about space is conferred by place cells that fire when an animal finds itself in a specific environmental location. Visuospatial contexts comprise a key element in the formation of place fields. Nevertheless, hippocampus does not only use visual cues to generate spatial representations. In the absence of visual input, both humans and other vertebrates studied in this context, are capable of generating very effective spatial representations. However, little is known about the relationship between nonvisual sensory modalities and the establishment of place fields. Substantial evidence exists that olfactory information can be used to learn spatial contexts. Here, we report that learning a

SUBMITTER: Zhang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4380081 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature