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How do the anterior and posterior parts of the hippocampus have different functions?

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Patient H.M. and short-term memory loss explained — hippocampus Learn about Henry Molaison (better known as “patient H.M.”), whose short-term memory loss following a lobotomy helped researchers to understand how brain structures are related to brain function.

The hippocampus is not uniform in its structure or function along its longitudinal axis. The anterior and posterior regions exhibit distinct connectivity patterns and specialized roles:

Anterior Hippocampus: This region is preferentially connected to the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex. Consequently, it is thought to be primarily involved in the regulation of stress and emotional responses.1
Posterior Hippocampus: This region maintains preferential connections to the retrosplenial and posterior parietal cortices. It is considered to be involved principally in cognitive and spatial processing.1

These functional differences highlight the specialized contributions of the hippocampal subregions to both emotional regulation and the complex navigation and mapping tasks associated with spatial memory.12