#Hippocampus anatomy pet code#

One cell might РІР‚СљfireРІР‚Сњ whenever the rat visited a particular corner of the maze, another cell in a second location, and so on.

OРІР‚в„ўKeefe and Dostrovsky noticed that many cells fired in certain locations.

OРІР‚в„ўKeefe used what he calls a РІР‚СљneuroethologicalРІР‚Сњ approach - that is he РІР‚СљlistenedРІР‚Сњ to the firing of single neurons while the rat explored a complex environment. OРІР‚в„ўKeefeРІР‚в„ўs lab in University College London, was one of the few at the time able action potentials from single neurons in freely moving animals. LetРІР‚в„ўs step back to 1971, when John OРІР‚в„ўKeefe and a young colleague, John Dostrovsky, discovered place cells. Emphasis is on 1970s history and the significance of John OРІР‚в„ўKeefe and Lynn NadelРІР‚в„ўs 1978 book, РІР‚СљThe Hippocampus as a Cognitive MapРІР‚Сњ 2. What follows are some of my thoughts, focusing on historical roots of the discoveries. While the GPS part is true, the work is far broader, giving insights into the neural substrate of broad areas of cognition that include memory, planning, creativity and internal thought. 1 The work is frequently summarized as revealing the functioning of the brainРІР‚в„ўs GPS system.

#Hippocampus anatomy pet code#

A few weeks ago the Nobel Prize Committee announced that John OРІР‚в„ўKeefe, Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser would be the recipients of the 2014 prize for Physiology and Medicine for their work in deciphering the neural code in the rat hippocampal region.