Optogenetics – Shedding light on memory research
How do we form long-lasting memories from our experiences and store them in neural networks? The role of the hippocampus is known to be crucial for the functioning of episodic memory. Thus far research has mainly utilized behavioral and brain imaging methods in humans, neuropsychological case studies and brain manipulations in animals. Optogenetics is a relatively new method that enables control of a specific population of neurons in a temporally precise fashion. In this review we describe how animal studies utilizing optogenetics have increased our understanding of the functional relationship between the different hippocampal structures and the neocortex during memory encoding and retrieval.