Where is hippocampus

It is also unclear whether a small hippocampus is an underlying cause of certain conditions, or whether it is a result.

In , scientists published a review of studies into the effects of exercise on cognitive decline and aging. This would preserve and potentially improve memory. How this happens remains unclear, however. In addition, a number of variables affect the outcome. More research is needed to confirm any findings. In August , researchers in Hong Kong published findings suggesting that low-frequency activities in the hippocampus can drive functional connectivity in other parts of the brain. In other words, activity in the hippocampus can affect not only memory and pathfinding, but also functions such as vision, hearing, and touch.

Want to improve your memory? Try reading out loud. A new study by researchers from Canada suggests that this can considerably raise verbal memory…. The birth of new neurons in the human hippocampus declines steeply in childhood and is 'undetectable' in adulthood, according to a challenging new…. New research about memory formation and recall points to a protein that may play an important role in how much we remember as we age.

Researchers reveal the existence of two distinct neural pathways for memory formation and memory retrieval. A little-studied brain region plays a key…. Researchers have restored brain plasticity in the visual cortex of middle-aged mice to that of a younger state by manipulating a gene called Arc. What is the hippocampus? Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M.

Sleep is thought to play a critical role in the process of this. Information in the hippocampus circulates in this area whilst neurons start to encode this information through a process called long-term potentiation.

Long-term potentiation is a form of neural plasticity and is a vital mechanism in the storage of memory. When this occurs in the hippocampus, the strongest of the circulating information then returns to the brain area where it originated from in order to turn the short-term memories into long-term memories. If someone is experiencing dysfunction with their hippocampus, they may be experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:.

As this condition develops, the volume of the hippocampus tends to reduce, and it becomes harder to function in daily life. Hippocampal weakening could simply be the result of aging, leading to this cognitive decline in older adults. There can however be other causes of weakening or dysfunction. The hippocampus contains high levels of glucocorticoid receptors which makes it more susceptible to long-term stress.

Long-term stress can have a negative impact on the hippocampus and there is evidence that individuals who have experienced severe traumatic stress show atrophy of the hippocampus. Damage to the hippocampus could also be the result of trauma to this area, oxygen starvation, stroke, or medial temporal lobe epilepsy.

There is evidence that links hippocampal atrophy to cognitive disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia Weis et al. Similarly, the duration that someone has suffered from depression has been correlated with the severity of hippocampal atrophy. It is suggested that a reason for this could be that depression may be causing prolonged stress because of their depression. Equally, hippocampal volume reduction has consistently been found to be a major finding in the brains of people who have schizophrenia.

Being able to manage stress can reduce the number of stress-related neurotransmitters being taken in by the hippocampus. Some simple methods could be to practise deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, or meditation.

As the hippocampus is more concerned with memory, completing memory-based activities can help to keep the hippocampus active. Exercises such as trying to memorize lists of words or reading and writing could all help to keep the hippocampus working properly.

The researchers used electroconvulsive therapy ECT , a procedure in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, deliberately causing a brief seizure. ECT has found to highly effective for the relief of depression. After a series of ECT, there was a significant increase in the hippocampal volume of the patients. As there was an increase in volume, this could imply that the hippocampus may play a key role in the treatment of depression. The researchers suggest that we use social maps to guide us through social spaces in the same way as cognitive maps can help us physically navigate our way around the environment.

Researchers used MRI to compare the size of the hippocampi in London cabbies to the size of the hippocampi in control subjects.

They found that the cab drivers had increased grey matter volume in the hippocampi, suggesting that perhaps the cabbies had formed a larger number of neuronal connections while creating a more complex cognitive map in their hippocampi.

The hippocampus has many other roles beyond memory and navigation. For example, reduced hippocampal volume has been seen in depressed patients read more here and those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder; it is thought that the stress experienced by patients who suffer from these disorders may be especially damaging to hippocampal neurons. But memory remains the function most associated with the hippocampus, in part due to fascinating cases like H.

Sunderland, MA. Sinauer Associates; We experience these things every day, but how do our brains create them? Your Brain, Explained is a personal tour around your gray matter. Some research suggests that stress associated with PTSD may also lead to damage to the hippocampus.

There are a few different factors that can affect the function of the hippocampus:. Age can also have a major impact on the functioning of the hippocampus. Those who experience such a loss may show significant declines in memory performance.

The hippocampus may also play a role in contributing to the development of addictions. Because drugs and alcohol affect the brain's reward systems, the hippocampus creates memories of these satisfying experiences. It also may help form memories of environmental cues associated with substance use that can contribute to intense cravings when these cues are encountered again. The term hippocampus is derived from the Greek word hippokampus hippo meaning "horse" and kampos meaning "sea monster" because the structure resembles the shape of a sea horse.

The structure was first described by the anatomist Julius Caesar Aranzi. Because the hippocampus has been known of and observed for centuries, it is one of the most studied areas of the brain. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. The Influences of Emotion on Learning and Memory. Front Psychol. Navigation-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers. Remembering Preservation in Hippocampal Amnesia. Annu Rev Psychol. Left-right dissociation of hippocampal memory processes in mice.

Can physical exercise in old age improve memory and hippocampal function? Stress effects on the hippocampus: A critical review. Learn Mem. Biol Psychiatry. Aging of the cerebral cortex differs between humans and chimpanzees.