Extra-hippocampal contributions to social memory: The role of septal nuclei

Abstract

Social memory, the ability to recognize and remember individuals within a social group, is crucial for social interactions and relationships. Deficit in social memory is linked to several neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. The hippocampus, especially the circuit linking dorsal CA2 and ventral CA1 neurons, is considered a neural substrate for social memory formation. Recent studies have provided compelling evidence of extra-hippocampal contributions to social memory. The septal nuclei, including the medial and lateral septum, is a basal forebrain region that shares bidirectional neuronal connections with the hippocampus and has recently been identified as critical for social memory. The focus of our review is on the neural circuit mechanisms underlying social memory, with a special emphasis on the septum. We further discuss the social memory dysfunction associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.