The Presubiculum (also known as the parasubiculum or prehippocampus) is a transitional cortical region in the medial temporal lobe that serves as a critical interface between the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus[1][2]. This region plays essential roles in spatial navigation, head direction processing, and memory consolidation, making it particularly relevant to neurodegenerative diseases that affect the medial temporal lobe.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | Transitional Cortex / Parahippocampal Region |
| Location | Dorsal edge of the parahippocampal gyrus, superficial to the subiculum |
| Cell Types | Pyramidal neurons, stellate cells, multiple interneuron subtypes |
| Primary Neurotransmitters | Glutamate, GABA |
| Key Markers | Reelin, Calbindin, Parvalbumin, WFS1 |
| Brodmann Area | Proisocortex |
The presubiculum exhibits transitional features between the six-layered neocortex and the three-layered archicortex of the hippocampus[1:1]:
The presubiculum has two major divisions:
The presubiculum is a key component of the brain's head direction (HD) network[2:1][3]:
Parahippocampal Cortex → Presubiculum → Entorhinal Cortex → Dentate Gyrus → CA3 → CA1
↓
Subiculum → Mammillary Bodies → Anterior Thalamus → Cortex
The presubiculum shows selective vulnerability in several neurodegenerative conditions[4][5]:
| Disease | Vulnerability | Pathological Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's Disease | High | Early tau pathology, neurofibrillary tangles |
| Transient Epileptic Amnesia | Moderate | Epilepsy-related changes |
| Posterior Cortical Atrophy | Moderate | Visual-spatial dysfunction |
| Lewy Body Disease | Low-Moderate | Alpha-synuclein pathology |
The study of Presubiculum has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.
Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.
Van Strien NM, Cappaert NL, Witter MP. The anatomy of memory: an interactive overview of the parahippocampal-hippocampal network. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2009;10(4):272-282. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19300446/ ↩︎ ↩︎
Taube JS. Head direction cells and the neurophysiological basis for a sense of direction. Prog Brain Res. 1998;117:243-268. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9676425/ ↩︎ ↩︎
Boccara CN, et al. Grid cells in pre- and parasubiculum. Nat Neurosci. 2010;13(8):987-994. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20639874/ ↩︎
Braak H, Braak E. Neuropathological stageing of Alzheimer-related changes. Acta Neuropathol. 1991;82(4):239-259. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1759558/ ↩︎
Pengas G, et al. The relationship between topographical memory and neurodegenerative diseases. Neuropsychologia. 2012;50(9):2153-2164. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22634203/ ↩︎