Table of contents:
- The function of the hippocampus is memory processing
- What happens if the hippocampus is damaged?
- Diseases affecting the hippocampus
- 1. Transient global amnesia (TGA)
- 2. Alzheimer's disease and depression
- 3. Epilepsy
The brain consists of many parts to help carry out various body functions. The hippocampus is part of the cerebrum limbic system located in the temporal lobe near the center of the brain. There is one section of the hippocampus on each side of the head. What is the function of the hippocampus?
The function of the hippocampus is memory processing
Location of the hippocampus in the human brain (purple)
The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is shaped like a seahorse (see bottom image for more details) and has 3 layers of pyramidal cells.
Comparison of the hippocampus and seahorse (source: Psychology Today)
The hippocampus is part of the limbic system. The limbic system is the part of the brain involved in behavioral and emotional responses, especially when it comes to the behaviors we need to survive such as foraging, reproducing and caring for offspring, and responses. flight or flight (fight or escape) when confronted by negative situations or stressors.
The main function of the hippocampus itself is learning and long-term memory storage and processing.
In the context of memory, the hippocampus helps process and retrieve two specific types of long-term memory, namely:
- Explicit memory, which is memory consisting of facts and events that are consciously carried out. For example: An actor learns to remember dialogue in a performance.
- Spatial relationship, which is a type of memory that helps us to specifically relate the location of an object to another reference object. For example: Taxi drivers remember routes throughout the city.
The hippocampus is not responsible for remembering how to walk, talk, or ride a bicycle. Procedural memory such as how to walk, how to speak, and how to operate a device are controlled by the cortex and cerebellum.
What happens if the hippocampus is damaged?
If the entire hippocampus is damaged, or only a part of it, you could have serious memory problems.
Especially when the hippocampus is damaged, you can no longer generate new long-term memory. You may think back to things that happened a while ago, but not things that just happened before the hippocampus was damaged.
For example, a person can draw a map of the location of the house he lived in as a child, but has difficulty remembering the direction of his new house. Sometimes, he also has difficulty moving from one place to another.
Diseases affecting the hippocampus
1. Transient global amnesia (TGA)
TGA is memory loss that occurs suddenly and is temporary. The cause is not known for sure, but experts suspect that damage to the hippocampus could be a risk factor. Often times, people who have TGA will eventually regain their memories.
2. Alzheimer's disease and depression
Alzheimer's disease and depression can shrink in size and change the shape of the hippocampus. In depression, the hippocampus can shrink by up to 20 percent in size. However, scientists are still studying which came first: a smaller hippocampus or depression.
3. Epilepsy
Autopsy of 50-75% of corpses that have epilepsy during their lifetime shows damage to the hippocampus. However, it is unclear whether epilepsy results from damage to the hippocampus.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
