The hippocampus: functional and structural correlations

This paper reviews the current literature relating neuropsychological measures of the functional integrity of the hippocampus with structural indices obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volumetric scans and the histological analysis of postoperative specimens. The first part of the discussion presents an overview of the current methods and applications of volumetric MRI of the hippocampus. The processes and contemporary standards applied to the histological analysis of resected hippocampal tissue are also described. Both of these measures of structural integrity have been studied in relation to preoperative performance on neuropsychological tests, including the intracarotid sodium amytal test, and postoperative memory functioning. The findings from these studies are reviewed. The challenges presented by these new technologies to the field of neuropsychology are discussed.