The link between memory and attention has long been recognized; however, the precise signal that serves to select stimuli for further mnemonic processing has yet to be identified. Since attention can be rapidly oriented from one stimulus to another, the signal that initiates subsequent mnemonic processing must be closely tied to the events within conscious attention at all times to ensure that storage is properly aligned with content (Posner, 1984). Postrhinal cortex, the rodent homologue of the primate parahippocampal cortex, has diffuse anatomical connections with neural regions associated with memory and attention systems (Burwell and Amaral, 1998b). This places postrhinal cortex in an ideal position to interface these two systems. Additionally, current behavioral and electrophysiological data suggest that postrhinal cortex has a role in the orienting of attention (Bucci and Burwell, in press; Burwell and Hafeman, 2003). The goal of the proposed study is to delineate the afferent connectivity of postrhinal cortex and characterize the behavioral significance of this region's role in cognitive processing using single unit recording techniques in behaving rats.
