Emotional shaping of spatial encoding along the dorsal ventral axis of the hippocampus.

Abstract

Emotional memories are essential for survival, enabling individuals to avoid future threats or seek safety or food. How does the brain link a specific spatiotemporal context with the associated emotional experience? The hippocampus (HPC) encodes spatial information through place cells, which collectively form a cognitive map that adapts to contextual changes. Along its longitudinal axis, the HPC shows marked functional divergence: the dorsal HPC supports fine-tuned spatial representations, whereas the ventral HPC exhibits broader connectivity with limbic circuits and plays a key role in encoding emotional valence, salience, anxiety, and motivational state. Here, we synthesize current evidence comparing spatial and emotional coding across these regions, emphasizing differences in spatial properties and circuit interactions. Finally, we propose a framework describing how dorsal and ventral HPC integrate spatial and emotional information to guide adaptive behavior.