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Lesions to the CA 2 region of the hippocampus impair social memory in mice
Author(s) -
Stevenson Erica L.,
Caldwell Heather K.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.12689
Subject(s) - hippocampus , neuroscience , neurochemical , hippocampal formation , social recognition , recognition memory , psychology , lesion , olfaction , recall , cognition , cognitive psychology , communication , psychiatry
The function of the CA 2 region of the hippocampus is poorly understood. Although the CA 1 and CA 3 regions have been extensively studied, for years the CA 2 region has primarily been viewed as a linking area between the two. However, the CA 2 region is known to have distinct neurochemical and structural features that are different from the other parts of the hippocampus and in recent years it has been suggested that the CA 2 region may play a role in the formation and/or recall of olfactory‐based memories needed for normal social behavior. Although this hypothesis has been supported by hippocampal lesion studies that have included the CA 2 region, no studies have attempted to specifically lesion the CA 2 region of the hippocampus in mice to determine the effects on social recognition memory and olfaction. To fill this knowledge gap, we sought to perform excitotoxic N ‐methyl‐ D ‐aspartate lesions of the CA 2 region and determine the effects on social recognition memory. We predicted that lesions of the CA 2 region would impair social recognition memory. We then went on to test olfaction in CA 2‐lesioned mice, as social memory requires a functional olfactory system. Consistent with our prediction, we found that CA 2‐lesioned animals had impaired social recognition. These findings are significant because they confirmed that the CA 2 region of the hippocampus is a part of the neural circuitry that regulates social recognition memory, which may have implications for our understanding of the neural regulation of social behavior across species.