The subiculum: Unique hippocampal hub and more

The hippocampal formation, which comprises the hippocampus proper, dentate gyrus, and subiculum, is crucial for learning, memory, and spatial navigation. Historically, most studies have focused on the hippocampus proper and dentate gyrus; however, recent evidence has highlighted the substantial contribution of the subiculum to interregional communication and behavioral performance. Moreover, various network oscillations in the subiculum appear to be crucial for cognitive functions. The subiculum shows complicated spatial representation during exploratory behavior, suggesting that the subiculum does not simply relay hippocampal information to the target regions but it functions as a unique computational unit. The network mechanism underlying the uniqueness of the subiculum awaits further investigation. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. and Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.