Beyond the Hippocampus

Studies at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston reported that the memory network in the brain that is responsible for remembering the face goes beyond the memory functions of the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyri, located in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), There is a region deep inside the brain known as the medial parietal cortex (MPC). The MPC contains specific regions that are involved in face and scene recognition. It appears the MTL and MPC regions work together to help an individual recognize faces and places. Estimates are that the average brain is able to recognize 5,000 faces and who knows how many scenes. Interestingly, the part of the parietal lobe where the MPC is located is an area of the brain that begins to deteriorate early in patients with Alzheimer's disease.