Question

Describe 2 separate pieces of evidence indicating that the hippocampus plays a key role in spatial memory.

Answer 1

Remembering a place in the environment via the hippocampus takes place by associating a sensory stimulus with a specific action. Studies with rodents have shown that several neurons in the hippocampus behave as place cells that show activity when the animal passes through a specific part of its environment. Furthermore, the significance of the hippocampus to spatial memory is also illustrated by the severe disruption in the learning of goal location and navigation to the goal that occurs when the hippocampus is damaged.