Focal lesions of human hippocampal CA1 neurons in transient global amnesia impair place memory
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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Investigating Long-term Synaptic Plasticity in Interlamellar Hippocampus CA1 by Electrophysiological Field Recording
Published on: August 11, 2019
T Bartsch1, R Schönfeld, F J Müller
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany. t.bartsch@neurologie.uni-kiel.de
Abstract:
A critical role in place learning has been attributed to place cells within the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) sector of the hippocampus in rodents. The role of CA1 cells in the human hippocampus with regard to place learning remains elusive. Using a virtual Morris water maze, we investigated patients with acute transient global amnesia (TGA), a rare self-limiting dysfunction of the hippocampal system. Fourteen individuals with selective and focal lesions in the CA1 sector of the hippocampus showed a profound impairment in place learning. The size of the lesions and the duration of the TGA correlated with the deficit in the performance.
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