hippocampal complex

hippocampal complex (HPC)

The term hippocampal complex refers to the functionally defined combination of gray and white matter components that make up the seahorse-shaped structure revealed by dissection on the floor of the lateral ventricle in the human ( Shaw-1997 Glasser-2016 ) and the macaque ( Martin-2000 ). ('Hippocampus' is Latin for 'seahorse'.) Part of the cerebral cortex, the hippocampal complex is an infolding of the part of archicortex in the ventral part of the limbic lobe into the lateral ventricle. It consists of three predominantly gray matter structures: the dentate gyrus, CA fields, and subiculum, and two predominantly white matter structures: the alveus and fimbria ( Carpenter-1983 ). While some authors refer to the transitional area of the CA1 field into the subiculum as a histologically separate structure ( Carpenter-1983 Paxinos-2009a ), that area, the presubiculum, does not appear in a functional segmentation of the human cerebral cortex ( Glasser-2016 ). In primates the HPC is a relatively flat structure the rostral end of which abuts the amygdala and curves medially to form the uncus. In rodents, where it constitutes a much greater portion of the cerebral cortex it curves up caudally into a C-shaped structure. Updated 18 Jun 2024.

Also known as: hippocampus of Crosby, hippocampal complex, hippocampal formation of Carpenter, hippocampus of Glasser, Hippocampus of Stephan, hippocampal region of squire

NeuroNames ID: 177

All Names & Sources

1 of 12

Showing 12 synonym(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 12 synonym(s)

Name:

Hippocampusformation

Language:

German

Organism:

human

Source:

Schiebler-1999

Citation:

Eighth Edition, Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1999.

Source Title:

Anatomie

Name:

formazione dell'ippocampo

Language:

Italian

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1995

Citation:

EdiSes, s.r.l.- Napoli, 1995

Source Title:

Fondamenti di Neuroanatomia

Name:

formación del hipocampo

Language:

Spanish

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1994

Citation:

edicion 4, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore; traducción de Editorial Medica Panamericana, Buenos Aires, efectuada por el Dr. Alejandro Kaufman

Source Title:

Neuroanatomía Fundamentos

Name:

formasi hippokampus

Language:

Indonesian

Organism:

human

Source:

Noback-1982

Citation:

Jakarta: Penerbit Buku Kedokteran EGC, 1982

Source Title:

Anatomi Susunan Saraf Manusia, Prinsip-Prinsip Dasar Neurobiologi

Name:

HPC

Language:

acronym

Organism:

Unspecified

Source:

NeuroNames

Citation:

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Source Title:

NeuroNames

Name:

hippocampus of Crosby

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Crosby-1962

Citation:

New York: MacMillan, 1962

Source Title:

Correlative Anatomy of the Nervous System

Name:

hippocampal complex

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Glasser-2016

Citation:

Nature. 2016 August 11; 536(7615): 171–178. doi:10.1038/nature18933.

Source Title:

A multimodal parcellation of human cerebral cortex:

Name:

Language:

acronym

Organism:

human

Source:

Glasser-2016

Citation:

Nature. 2016 August 11; 536(7615): 171–178. doi:10.1038/nature18933.

Source Title:

A multimodal parcellation of human cerebral cortex:

Name:

hippocampal formation of Carpenter

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1983

Source Title:

Human Neuroanatomy

Name:

hippocampus of Glasser

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Glasser-2016

Citation:

Nature. 2016 August 11; 536(7615): 171–178. doi:10.1038/nature18933.

Source Title:

A multimodal parcellation of human cerebral cortex:

Name:

Hippocampus of Stephan

Language:

Latin

Organism:

Unspecified

Source:

Stephan-1975

Citation:

In Handbuch der mikroskopischen Anatomie des Menschen (W. Bargmann, Ed.), Vol. 4, Part 9, 998pp. Springer-Verlag, Berlin and New York.

Source Title:

Allocortex

Name:

hippocampal region of squire

Language:

English

Organism:

Unspecified

Source:

Squire-2004

Citation:

Source Title:

The Medial Temporal Lobe

Illustrations

Showing 4 illustration(s)

labeled line drawings of
sagittal section in
Macaca fascicularis

multiple views of
3D reconstruction in
Macaca mulatta

Nissl stain & diagram of
coronal section in
mouse

Nissl stain & diagram of
sagittal section in
mouse

Species With The Structure

Equivalent By	Human	Macaque	Rat	Mouse
Internal Structure	Has The Structure	Relevant Data Not Located	Relevant Data Not Located	Relevant Data Not Located

1 of 1

Showing 1 record(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 1 record(s)

Basis:

Internal Structure

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

hippocampus of Crosby

Source:

Crosby-1962

Models Where It Appears

Structural CNS Model - Macaque

Brain structures of the macaque are illustrated in BrainInfo’s NeuroMaps macaque brain atlas. Structures are grouped by proximity in a hierarchy corresponding to the central nervous system hierarchy of NeuroNames ( Bowden-1995 Martin-2000 ). Structures in the NeuroMaps atlas are based on the segmentation of an MRI of the brain of a 3-year old male rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). The atlas is most useful for targeting structures for implantating electrodes and chemtrodes. Updated 29 Oct 2025.

telodiencephalic fissure

midbrain

hindbrain

choroidal fissure