Toward a spiking model of the Hippocampus and Entorhinal Cortex

A framework for a spiking model of Entorhinal Cortex, and the Dentate Gyrus and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus is developed. Taking the input to the Entorhinal Cortex as determined by influences outside the model, I define grid cells, head direction cells, and border cells in a simulated experiment in which a rat performs random foraging in a box. Cells are modeled with Izhikevich-style neurons and synapses are modified by spike-timing dependent plasticity. Resulting firing patterns in the dentate gyrus and CA3 are considered, and several questions are raised that this model – when realized fully – may be able to help answer.