Recall of memory sequences by interaction of the dentate and CA3: a revised model of the phase precession.

Abstract

Behavioral and electrophysiological evidence indicates that the hippocampus has a special role in the encoding and recall of memory sequences. Importantly, the hippocampal phase precession, a phenomenon recorded as a rat moves through place fields, can be interpreted as cued recall of the sequence of upcoming places. The phase precession can be recorded in all hippocampal regions, but the role of each region has been unclear. Here, we suggest how the dentate and CA3 regions can work together to learn sequences, recall sequences, and generate the phase precession. Our proposal is constrained by information regarding synaptic plasticity rules, network connectivity, timing delays and theta/gamma oscillations.