hippokampuse

Hippokampuse is a term that appears primarily as a misspelling or less common variant of the hippocampus. In standard anatomical usage, the hippocampus is a bilateral structure located in the medial temporal lobe of the brain. It plays a central role in forming new memories and in spatial navigation.

Etymology: The name hippocampus comes from the Ancient Greek hippos 'horse' and kampos 'sea monster', reflecting the seahorse-like shape of the structure. The variant spelling hippokampuse mirrors transliteration differences but is not widely used in contemporary neuroanatomy.

Anatomy and function: The hippocampus comprises subregions such as CA1, CA2, CA3, and CA4, together with the dentate gyrus and subiculum. It is part of the limbic system and interfaces with the entorhinal cortex to support the encoding and consolidation of declarative memories, as well as spatial learning and context processing. In adults, neurogenesis is thought to occur in the dentate gyrus under certain conditions, though the extent and significance remain topics of research.

Clinical significance: Hippocampal dysfunction or loss is associated with amnesia, particularly anterograde amnesia after bilateral damage. Atrophy of the hippocampus is a hallmark of early Alzheimer's disease and is detectable by MRI. The region is also implicated in temporal lobe epilepsy and various mood disorders.