Differential Functional Connectivity of Anterior and Posterior Hippocampus

1 page.The hippocampus aids in remembering and linking a variety of experiences in order to form general representations of the world. Previous research shows that anterior hippocampus supports generalized memory, while posterior hippocampus supports memory for specific experiences. Hippocampus may serve both functions through interactions with distinct cortical memory regions. To test this notion, we measured hippocampal connectivity while participants were resting in an MRI. This allows us to see which regions spontaneously activate in unison, indicating their interaction. Outside of the scanner, participants took tests of memory specificity and generalization. We measured which regions were connected with the posterior or anterior hippocampus. Our analysis revealed widespread connectivity for both anterior and posterior regions of the hippocampus. Most regions were preferentially connected to the anterior or posterior hippocampus, with a few regions connected to both. The anterior hippocampus was connected to regions known to support generalization: the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and temporal pole. Posterior hippocampus was significantly connected to regions known to support memory specificity, such as angular gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus. We will test how the strength of these connections relate to each person’s specific and generalized memory. These results further explicate previous results enlightening distinct functional connectivity across the hippocampus