Causal necessity of hippocampus for structure-based inference in learning

Causal necessity of hippocampus for structure-based inference in learning | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Causal necessity of hippocampus for structure-based inference in learning Deng Pan, Simone D'Ambrogio, Naomi Kingston, Miruna Rascu, Pranav Sankhe, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7320179/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract When meeting new individuals or encountering known individuals in new circumstances, we intuitively map out their relationships – not merely by direct experience, but by quickly inferring new connections based on prior relational knowledge. Using a novel task, we demonstrated that participants indeed employ knowledge of relational structures to facilitate learning of new relationships in a changing environment. Computational modelling revealed that participants leveraged relational knowledge to support inference, thus facilitating learning. Whole brain neuroimaging identified a uniquely robust representation of relational structure in the hippocampus. Neural networks trained on similar tasks demonstrated the emergence of relational structure representations, resembling those found in hippocampus. Lesioning network units sustaining such representations disrupted structure-based inference and predicted hippocampus’s essential role. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation of human hippocampus, transiently modulating its activity without affecting overlying tissue, produced similar disruption effects, empirically confirming the causal necessity of hippocampal representations for structure-based inference in learning. Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive neuroscience Biological sciences/Psychology/Human behaviour Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Social neuroscience Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files Fig3cPCA3Drotation.gif 3D rotation video of PCA results SI.pdf Extended Data Figures Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7320179","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":510890321,"identity":"f26c5835-4d1d-4c16-9b1d-ec0a64ac1c94","order_by":0,"name":"Deng 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