Dynamic Hippocampal Circuits Support Learning- and Memory-Guided Behaviors

Abstract

The ability to learn spatial relationships and to modify stored representations when the world changes is essential for survival. In recent years, our understanding of the neural activity that underlie these learning and memory processes has improved considerably, in large part to an increase in the number of studies that use electrophysiological recordings as animals learn about their environments. In this review, we summarize some key findings from our laboratory, with a focus on recent discoveries that indicate that the rat hippocampus supports learning and decision-making behaviors via dynamic and smooth transitions in neural representation, internal processing state, and coupling with related brain structures.