Nemzeti Kutatási Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal,(KH 125294)
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, Grant/ Award(LP2015-2/2015)
Subjects:
Basic medicine
Health sciences
Other medical sciences
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Spatial learning, including encoding and retrieval of spatial memories as well as
holding spatial information in working memory generally serving navigation under a
broad range of circumstances, relies on a network of structures. While central to
this network are medial temporal lobe structures with a widely appreciated crucial
function of the hippocampus, neocortical areas such as the posterior parietal cortex
and the retrosplenial cortex also play essential roles. Since the hippocampus receives
its main subcortical input from the medial septum of the basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic
system, it is not surprising that the potential role of the septo-hippocampal pathway
in spatial navigation has been investigated in many studies. Much less is known of
the involvement in spatial cognition of the parallel projection system linking the
posterior BF with neocortical areas. Here we review the current state of the art of
the division of labour within this complex navigation system', with special focus
on how subcortical cholinergic inputs may regulate various aspects of spatial learning,
memory and navigation.
