Subicular

Subicular is the adjective used to describe the subiculum, a part of the hippocampal formation in the medial temporal lobe. The subiculum lies at the interface between the hippocampus proper and the entorhinal cortex and functions as the principal output region of the hippocampus, routing information to a broad set of cortical and subcortical targets.

Anatomically, the subiculum is organized in a way that supports distinct connectivity along its proximal and distal parts. It receives major input from the CA1 region of the hippocampus and projects to multiple regions, including the entorhinal cortex, cingulate and prefrontal cortices, nucleus accumbens, and mammillary bodies, with additional thalamic connections conveyed via the fornix.

Functionally, the subiculum participates in memory processing and spatial navigation, acting as a critical hub that integrates hippocampal outputs with wider brain networks. It is involved in aspects of episodic memory retrieval and the transformation of hippocampal signals into contextually relevant cortical representations. Clinically, subicular pathology is observed in conditions such as temporal lobe epilepsy, hippocampal sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease, where changes in subicular structure or function can contribute to memory impairment and altered network dynamics.