PLACE-INDEPENDENT BEHAVIORAL-CORRELATES OF HIPPOCAMPAL-NEURONS IN RATS

THE broad diversity of discharge correlates of hippocampal neurones ha s provoked controversy. For example, purported behavioural correlates could, instead, be location selectivity (of 'place cells') that is sec ondarily modulated by sensory stimulation or ongoing movements. In rat s trained to perform identical behaviours in four corners of a symmetr ical arena, we found hippocampal pyramidal cells discharged selectivel y as the rats performed task-related behaviours regardless of spatial location. Since the ensemble of these hippocampal neurones comprehensi vely represented all stages of the task, we propose that each cell rep resents an element of the temporal organization of the animal's behavi our, complementing the place cell representations of elements of the s tructure of the environment.