Hippocampal function is not required for the precision of remote place memory

BACKGROUND: During permanent memory formation, recall of acquired place memories initially depends on the hippocampus and eventually become hippocampus-independent with time. It has been suggested that the quality of original place memories also transforms from a precise form to a less precise form with similar time course. The question arises of whether the quality of original place memories is determined by brain regions on which the memory depends. RESULTS: To directly test this idea, we introduced a new procedure: a non-associative place recognition memory test in mice. Combined with genetic and pharmacological approaches, our analyses revealed that place memory is precisely maintained for 28 days, although the recall of place memory shifts from hippocampus-dependent to hippocampus-independent with time. Moreover, the inactivation of the hippocampal function does not inhibit the precision of remote place memory. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the quality of place memories is not determined by brain regions on which the memory depends.