Structure and function of the hippocampal CA3 module
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Updated: Oct 25, 2026

Investigating Long-term Synaptic Plasticity in Interlamellar Hippocampus CA1 by Electrophysiological Field Recording
Published on: August 11, 2019
Rosanna P Sammons1, Mourat Vezir2, Laura Moreno-Velasquez1
1Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, Berlin 10117, Germany.
Abstract:
The hippocampal formation is crucial for learning and memory, with submodule CA3 thought to be the substrate of pattern completion. However, the underlying synaptic and computational mechanisms of this network are not well understood. Here, we perform circuit reconstruction of a CA3 module using three dimensional (3D) electron microscopy data and combine this with functional connectivity recordings and computational simulations to determine possible CA3 network mechanisms. Direct measurements of connectivity schemes with both physiological measurements and structural 3D EM revealed a high connectivity rate, multi-fold higher than previously assumed. Mathematical modelling indicated that such CA3 networks can robustly generate pattern completion and replay memory sequences. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the connectivity scheme of the hippocampal submodule is well suited for efficient memory storage and retrieval.
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