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The primate hippocampus: ontogeny, early insult and memory
Jocelyne Bachevalier1, Faraneh Vargha-Khadem
1Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, USA. jbachev@emory.edu
Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|April 16, 2005
Summary
The developing primate hippocampus shows a continuum of memory abilities from infancy to adulthood. Relational memory, crucial for the hippocampus, matures later, impacting childhood behavior and supporting hierarchical memory organization.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The hippocampus plays a critical role in memory formation and retrieval.
- Evidence suggests a developmental continuum in hippocampal function across species, impacting memory abilities from infancy to adulthood.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of hippocampal-dependent memory is crucial for identifying developmental disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental continuum of hippocampal-dependent memory abilities in primates.
- To determine the age at which specific hippocampal-dependent memory functions, such as relational memory, mature in primates.
- To explore the implications of hippocampal development for memory loss and hierarchical organization within the medial temporal lobe memory system.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of memory abilities in infant and adult primates (monkeys and humans).
- Assessment of specific hippocampal-dependent memory functions, including recognition and relational memory.
- Longitudinal observation of behavioral changes related to memory deficits resulting from early hippocampal insult.
Main Results:
- Primates exhibit a developmental continuum in hippocampal function, influencing memory from infancy through adulthood.
- Early infancy shows limited hippocampal-dependent abilities (e.g., recognition memory), while others (e.g., relational memory) mature later (around 2 years in monkeys, 5-7 years in humans).
- Infantile hippocampal insults lead to memory loss that becomes behaviorally evident later in childhood, suggesting a maturational gradient.
Conclusions:
- A maturational gradient exists within the medial temporal lobe memory system, with hippocampus-dependent abilities emerging sequentially.
- Hierarchical organization of memory within the medial temporal lobe is supported, with more complex abilities developing later.
- These findings have implications for understanding typical memory development and the impact of early-life insults on cognitive function.