THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE ASSOCIATIVE PARIETAL CORTEX AND HIPPOCAMPUS TO SPATIAL PROCESSING IN RODENTS

A growing volume of data supports the notion that the associative pari etal cortex (APC) in rodents plays an important role in the processing of spatial information. The present paper reviews the Literature and available data, emphasizing the respective contribution of the APC and the hippocampus to spatial processing. It is proposed that the APC ha s a function of interfacing between the egocentric and allocentric cod ing of space. According to this view, the APC would associate visuospa tial and internal movement-related information and thus would mediate the integration of multiple egocentric frames of reference into alloce ntric spatial representations. The allocentric coding of space would b e completed and implemented in the hippocampal formation.