2010 January 14; 65(1): 7. | Michael S. Fanselow, Hong-Wei Dong
The article reviews the functional segmentation of the hippocampus into three distinct compartments: dorsal, intermediate, and ventral. The dorsal hippocampus, corresponding to the posterior hippocampus in primates, is primarily involved in cognitive functions, such as spatial memory and cognitive processing. The ventral (anterior in primates) hippocampus is associated with emotional and affective processes, including stress regulation and the expression of affective disorders. Gene expression and anatomical projections in these regions support the functional distinction. The dorsal hippocampus correlates with cortical regions involved in information processing, while the ventral hippocampus correlates with regions involved in emotion and stress, such as the amygdala and hypothalamus. The article also discusses the anatomical connectivity of these regions, highlighting their distinct patterns of projection and interaction. The dorsal hippocampus projects to regions involved in cognitive and spatial tasks, while the ventral hippocampus projects to regions involved in emotional and motivational behaviors. The intermediate hippocampus, which receives input from both the dorsal and ventral regions, has less well-defined connectivity patterns but is involved in integrating information from different modalities. Overall, the functional and anatomical evidence suggests that the hippocampus can be divided into separate structures or zones, each serving distinct cognitive and emotional functions.The article reviews the functional segmentation of the hippocampus into three distinct compartments: dorsal, intermediate, and ventral. The dorsal hippocampus, corresponding to the posterior hippocampus in primates, is primarily involved in cognitive functions, such as spatial memory and cognitive processing. The ventral (anterior in primates) hippocampus is associated with emotional and affective processes, including stress regulation and the expression of affective disorders. Gene expression and anatomical projections in these regions support the functional distinction. The dorsal hippocampus correlates with cortical regions involved in information processing, while the ventral hippocampus correlates with regions involved in emotion and stress, such as the amygdala and hypothalamus. The article also discusses the anatomical connectivity of these regions, highlighting their distinct patterns of projection and interaction. The dorsal hippocampus projects to regions involved in cognitive and spatial tasks, while the ventral hippocampus projects to regions involved in emotional and motivational behaviors. The intermediate hippocampus, which receives input from both the dorsal and ventral regions, has less well-defined connectivity patterns but is involved in integrating information from different modalities. Overall, the functional and anatomical evidence suggests that the hippocampus can be divided into separate structures or zones, each serving distinct cognitive and emotional functions.