It also plays an important part in the recall of emotional memories.
Have you ever noticed how a particular scent might trigger a strong memory?
It is the hippocampus that plays a role in this connection.
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Spatial Memory
The rear part of the hippocampus is involved in the processing of spatial memories.
Memory Consolidation
The hippocampus also plays a role in consolidating memories during sleep.
Memory Transfer
Memories are not stored in the hippocampus for the long term.
Sleep is believed to play a critical role in this process.
Location
Because the brain is lateralized and symmetrical, you actually have two hippocampi.
They are located just above each ear and about an inch-and-a-half inside your head.
Because drugs and alcohol affect the brain’s reward systems, the hippocampus creates memories of these satisfying experiences.
Hippocampus damage can particularly affect spatial memory, or the ability to remember directions, locations, and orientations.
Damage to the hippocampus has been observed upon post-mortem analysis of the brains of individuals with amnesia.
Such damage is linked to problems with formingexplicit memoriessuch as names, dates, and events.
The exact impact of damage can vary depending on which hippocampus has been affected.
How to Keep Your Hippocampus Healthy
So what can you do to protect your hippocampus?
The structure was first described by the anatomist Julius Caesar Aranzi.
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