Rhythmic coordination of hippocampal-prefrontal ensembles for odor-place associative memory and decision making

ABSTRACT Memory-guided decision making involves long-range coordination across sensory and cognitive brain networks, with key roles for the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC). To investigate these coordination mechanisms, we monitored activity in hippocampus (CA1), PFC, and olfactory bulb in rats performing an odor-place associative memory guided decision task on a T-maze. During odor sampling, the beta (20-30 Hz) and respiratory (7-8 Hz) rhythms (RR) were prominent across the three regions, with CA1-PFC beta and RR coherence enhanced during the odor-cued decision making period. Beta phase modulation of CA1 and PFC neuronal activity during this period was linked to accurate decisions, suggesting that this temporal modulation influences sensory-cued decision making. Single neurons and ensembles in both CA1 and PFC encoded and predicted animals’ upcoming choices. Our findings indicate that rhythmic coordination within the hippocampal-prefrontal network supports utilization of odor cues for memory-guided decision making.