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The Role of the Hippocampus in the Perception and Recall of Odors. A Hypothetical Neural Mechanism

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A mechanism for the interdependent functioning of the olfactory and hippocampal neural networks is proposed. This functioning involves a significant role played by long-term changes in the efficiency of connections between neurons in these networks, as well as in the ventral part of the basal ganglia, the frontal areas of the cortex, and the thalamic reunions and mediodorsal nuclei. Odors are involved in spatial mapping and navigation because these two types of information are processed simultaneously and interdependently. The proposed mechanism forming representations of “odor–object–place” associations in the activity of neurons in different hippocampal fields may underlie the participation of odors in determining “place fields.” Hippocampal field CA2 makes an important contribution to this process, facilitating the memorization and retrieval of information related to odors and their locations. Due to hippocampal projections to the olfactory structures, spatial representations of the environment are also formed in the activity of neurons in the piriform cortex. According to the mechanism proposed here, damage to different components in the chains analyzed, as well as weakening of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and the olfactory bulb, should impair the sense of smell and memory for odors. This consequence is consistent with olfactory deficits in a number of neurodegenerative and viral diseases, as well as aging.

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    I. G. Silkis

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Translated from Uspekhi Fiziologicheskikh Nauk, Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 20–36, April–June, 2023

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Silkis, I.G. The Role of the Hippocampus in the Perception and Recall of Odors. A Hypothetical Neural Mechanism. Neurosci Behav Physi 53, 1255–1268 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-023-01521-6

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