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Progress in the encoding characteristics and mechanisms of hippocampal neural assemble sequences in spatial memory

ZHANG Yi-Yuan^1,2, ZHU Nan^1,2, YANG Jia-Jia^1,2, ZHENG Chen-Guang^1,1,2,*

¹Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China；²Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072, China

Abstract

The formation, consolidation and retrieval of spatial memory depend on sequential firing patterns of place cells assembling in the hippocampus. Theta sequences of place cells during behavior play a role in acquisition of spatial memory, trajectory prediction and decision making. In awake rest and slow wave sleep, place cell sequences occur during the sharp wave-ripples (SWRs), called “replay”, which is crucial for memory consolidation and retrieval. In this review, we summarize the functional significances of theta sequences and SWRs replay sequences and the mechanism of these sequences. We also discuss the relationship between theta and replay sequences with the formation of spatial memory. We propose the research direction in this field in future and aim to provide new ideas for related researches.

Key words: spatial memory; place cell; theta sequences; sharp wave-ripples replay sequences

Received: 2020-01-20　　Accepted: 2020-06-08

Corresponding author: 郑晨光　　E-mail: cgzheng@tju.edu.cn

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2020.0081

Citing This Article：

ZHANG Yi-Yuan, ZHU Nan, YANG Jia-Jia, ZHENG Chen-Guang. Progress in the encoding characteristics and mechanisms of hippocampal neural assemble sequences in spatial memory. Acta Physiol Sin 2020; 72 (6): 793-803 (in Chinese with English abstract).