Parahippocampal Gyrus — Function, Location & Quiz

The parahippocampal gyrus supplies the memory system with the setting around an event. Its scene-selective territory responds strongly to places and layouts, complementing fusiform systems for faces and perirhinal systems for item familiarity.

That division explains why a person can identify objects yet become lost in familiar surroundings after relevant damage. The structure is not the hippocampus itself; it is adjacent cortical territory that channels spatial context toward entorhinal and hippocampal circuits.

Test this anatomy in the Brain Regions Quiz or open the interactive 3D brain model.

Location and anatomical map

Scene recognition, spatial context, topographical memory.

Atlas category: cortical. Brodmann areas or landmark: BA 36 (perirhinal), BA 35, 37 (parahippocampal).

Functions

  • Scene and place recognition (parahippocampal place area — PPA)
  • Spatial context and topographical memory
  • Familiarity-based recognition (perirhinal cortex)
  • Contextual associations — binding objects to places

Pathways and connections

  • PHC → Entorhinal cortex → Hippocampus (spatial context input)
  • PHC ← Retrosplenial cortex, parietal cortex (spatial info)
  • Perirhinal → EC (object identity input to memory system)

Clinical relevance

  • Damage → topographical disorientation (can't navigate familiar places)
  • Parahippocampal lesion → inability to learn new spatial layouts
  • Perirhinal lesion → impaired familiarity judgments (but recollection may be spared)

Key facts

  • Epstein & Kanwisher (1998): PPA responds strongly to scenes/places, not faces or objects
  • PPA + retrosplenial cortex + hippocampus = the brain's navigation system
  • Dual-process theory: perirhinal = familiarity, hippocampus = recollection

Exam tip

PPA = scenes/places. FFA = faces. These are the two most-tested category-selective areas. Know Epstein & Kanwisher.

Common questions

What does the parahippocampal gyrus do?

It supports scene recognition, spatial context, topographical memory and associations between objects and the places in which they appear.

What is the parahippocampal place area?

The PPA is scene-selective parahippocampal cortex that responds strongly to places and spatial layouts, in contrast with fusiform regions that prefer faces.

What happens after parahippocampal damage?

Damage can cause topographical disorientation and difficulty learning new spatial layouts even when basic vision and object recognition remain available.