dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex

anatomy

Also known as: dMEC

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July 21, 2026

Quick Summary

The dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex is a part of the brain's cerebral cortex, specifically located in the medial temporal lobe. It serves as the primary cortical input to the hippocampus. This region plays a crucial role in spatial memory, which is the brain's ability to store and retrieve information needed for navigation and remembering the location of objects or events.12

The entorhinal cortex, along with the hippocampus, is essential for forming spatial representations of the environment. Neurons within this area, such as grid cells, fire in specific locations and tile the environment, contributing to the brain's map of its surroundings and aiding in path integration. Damage to these areas can severely impair spatial memory and navigation abilities.2

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Edvard I. Moser
…of cells specifically in the dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex (dMEC) of the rat brain via electrodes that had been positioned precisely within the region. The activity of the cells in the dMEC turned out to be related to the position of the rat in its enclosure, similar to O’Keefe’s finding…
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…of cells specifically in the dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex (dMEC) of the rat brain via electrodes that had been positioned precisely within the region. The activity of the cells in the dMEC turned out to be related to the position of the rat in its enclosure, similar to O’Keefe’s finding…
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May-Britt Moser
…precisely place electrodes in the dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex (dMEC) of the rat brain, allowing them to record the activity of cells in response to specific behaviours. Similar to O’Keefe’s findings with place cells, the Mosers found that cells in the dMEC became active in relation to an animal’s position…
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…precisely place electrodes in the dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex (dMEC) of the rat brain, allowing them to record the activity of cells in response to specific behaviours. Similar to O’Keefe’s findings with place cells, the Mosers found that cells in the dMEC became active in relation to an animal’s position…
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John O’Keefe
…the brain known as the dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex (dMEC) that produce a system of coordinates by which animals determine their spatial position and navigate their environment. Subsequent research revealed that place cells and grid cells interact, with the activity of place cells likely derived from the formation of grids.
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…the brain known as the dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex (dMEC) that produce a system of coordinates by which animals determine their spatial position and navigate their environment. Subsequent research revealed that place cells and grid cells interact, with the activity of place cells likely derived from the formation of grids.
Read More