Robert I. Grossman MD Dean and Chief Executive Officer | NYU Langone Hassenfeld Children's Hospital
Robert I. Grossman MD Dean and Chief Executive Officer | NYU Langone Hassenfeld Children's Hospital
A new study led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine has identified a previously unrecognized brain circuit that helps determine the familiarity and importance of sensory information. The research, published in Nature Neuroscience, reveals a direct feedback loop between the entorhinal cortex (EC) and the hippocampus (HC), which processes sensory information and memory.
The study's senior author, Dr. Jayeeta Basu, explained that this discovery marks "the first anatomical and functional analysis of both the new direct hippocampal–cortical feedback loop, and the indirect loop found decades ago." She added that the differences in wiring, timing, and location suggest these loops have distinct roles in encoding complex information.
Understanding these circuits could provide insights into conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and autism. The research team used modern methods to uncover a second loop connecting HC directly to EC layers 2 and 3, facilitating rapid integration of memories and emotions with sensory perceptions.
Dr. Basu's team also measured properties in both loops for the first time. They found that while the known indirect loop is excitatory, triggering action potentials, the new direct feedback loop recruits strong inhibition without eliciting action potentials. This activity allows for more intricate computations and accelerated learning.
Future research will explore how this circuit influences decision-making functions in other brain regions like the prefrontal cortex or amygdala. The team will also investigate changes in this circuit with aging and Alzheimer's disease.
Alongside Dr. Basu, authors from NYU Langone Institute for Translational Neuroscience include Tanvi Butola, Melissa Hernandez Frausto, Lulu Peng, Ariel Hairston, Cara Johnson, Margot Elmaleh, Amanda Amilcar, Fabliha Hussain; Cliff Kentros' team from Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience; Claudia Clopath from Imperial College London; among others.
The project was supported by various grants including those from NIH BRAIN initiative project grant (2018–2023), Alzheimer’s Association grant AARGD-NTF-23-23 21151101, Mathers Foundation Award, McKnight Scholar Award among others.
NYU Langone Health is recognized for its quality patient outcomes and ranked as a top academic medical center by Vizient Inc., with nine clinical specialties listed among the nation's top five by U.S. News & World Report.
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