Hippocampus damage can affect memory and learning-related functions. For example, survivors with injury to the hippocampus may struggle to recall old memories or create new ones. Fortunately, this structure of the brain has a special ability to heal and improve overall function through neurogenesis.

This article will discuss how hippocampus damage can affect many cognitive functions, and the most effective ways to promote recovery. First, let’s take a look at the role the hippocampus plays in our day-to-day life.

What Is the Function of the Hippocampus?

The hippocampus is a small, C-shaped structure embedded in the temporal lobe, just below the cerebral cortex. This structure is a part of the limbic system primarily responsible for memory. However, the limbic system also helps support a variety of functions including emotion, motivation, and behavior.

The hippocampus especially plays a vital role in many functions such as learning, spatial navigation, and behavior. However, the hippocampus is particularly involved in consolidating and encoding memories, including declarative and spatial memories.

Declarative memories are associated with facts and events. For example, when an individual is trying to memorize a speech, they are using declarative memory. Spatial memories are associated with locations such as pathways and routes. For instance, when an individual is driving home without a GPS, they can visualize and recall how the routes home look.

The hippocampus also helps convert short-term memories into long-term memories. However, this function can become impaired if the brain sustains hippocampus damage.

Signs and Symptoms of Hippocampus Damage

Memory problems can develop as a normal part of aging or other types of neurological injuries in addition to hippocampus damage. Understanding the signs can help you differentiate between the symptoms and seek the necessary care.

Potential signs of hippocampus damage may include:

• Difficulty holding a conversation
• Misplacing items frequently
• Poor decision-making
• Asking the same questions multiple times
• Difficulty following directions
• Getting lost in familiar places
• Forgetting to take care of oneself (i.e. eating, bathing)

It’s important to speak to your doctor if you notice any new signs or symptoms. They can make a proper diagnosis and provide the appropriate treatment for your condition. While the effects of hippocampus damage may seem permanent, there is hope for recovery.

Neurological Diseases that Can Result from Hippocampus Damage

Though hippocampus damage is most often caused from a neurological injury like a traumatic brain injury, it can also be a result of other neurological diseases like Alzhemeir’s disease or depression. Because memory is one of the primary functions of the hippocampus, these diseases often cause difficulty with long-term and short-term memory.

Some neurological diseases that can arise from hippocampus damage include:

Anterograde Amnesia

In the 1950’s, the case of Henry Molaison impacted neuroscience and led to new discoveries about the role of the hippocampus. Molaison suffered from severe epilepsy, and underwent surgery to help reduce his seizures. However, during the procedure, a significant amount of his hippocampus was removed.

Removing the hippocampus caused Molaison to experience anterograde amnesia for the rest of his life. Individuals with anterograde amnesia cannot remember new information provided, such as a conversation, but they can often recall data and events from before the injury. Though this was an extreme case, scientists soon discovered that any level of hippocampus damage can interfere with the ability to form new memories.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzhemeimer’s disease is a progressive disease that impairs memory and other cognitive functions. Scientists believe Alzheimer’s may affect the hippocampus first and as the disease progresses, it causes the hippocampus to lose volume. Hippocampal volume is essential for learning and memory processes, particularly declarative memory.

Epilepsy

Scientists have also found a link between epilepsy and the hippocampus. They discovered that there are a variety of cellular changes that occur during the period before the onset of recurring seizures. Changes in the hippocampus can include inflammation, reactive gliosis (universal reaction to brain injury), and neuronal loss.

Depression

Damage to the hippocampus can also result in depression. Individuals who experience depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often show reduced hippocampal volume in their brain scans. The hippocampus can also appear smaller in size during periods of depression as opposed to remission. However, scientists are uncertain whether the shrinking in size results directly from depression or is simply a contributing factor to impaired hippocampal function.

Psychologists developed a theory, known as the neurogenic hypothesis, to help explain the change in hippocampal size. The hypothesis suggests that new neurons are necessary for proper mood control and antidepressant efficacy. The hippocampus plays a significant role in the production of new brain cells, which means a decrease in hippocampal activity during depression is plausible.

Stress

Stress can contribute to both depression and hippocampus damage. Research shows that exposure to high levels of stress can negatively affect the hippocampus and interfere with the production of new brain cells. As a result, individuals may have difficulty with memory and other cognitive functions.

Typically, neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and anterograde amnesia occur from severe hippocampus damage. However, in mild to moderate cases, symptoms may be less severe and can be improved with proper treatment.

Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus

The hippocampus plays a fascinating role in neurogenesis, the creation of new brain cells. Many neuroscientists refer to the hippocampus as the “regeneration center” of the brain. The hippocampus is one of the very few areas in the adult brain that is capable of producing progenitor cells.

These cells have the ability to transform into different types of brain cells and migrate to other parts of the brain that need replenishing. Replacing damaged nerve cells with new healthy progenitor cells can help the brain heal and restore function. There is hope for recovery after a hippocampal injury with neurogenesis.

How to Help the Brain Heal from Hippocampus Damage

Activating the process of neurogenesis is the best way to help the brain heal and even reverse hippocampus damage. This can be accomplished by boosting the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in your brain. 

BDNF is a protein that plays an important role in the growth, maintenance, and regeneration of new brain cells (neurons). It’s especially important in short-term and long-term memory processing, which are often affected by hippocampus damage. Essentially, BDNF serves as the fuel necessary to activate neurogenesis and promote recovery.

Here are some of the most effective ways to increase the production of BDNF and activate neurogenesis:

1. Exercise Regularly

Studies have shown that exercise offers many neuroprotective and cognitive benefits, especially pertaining to memory and learning processes. Aerobic exercise in particular helps boost BDNF levels and promote hippocampal function.

Another study showed that light and moderate exercise increased the size of the hippocampus and enhanced memory retention. Staying active and exercising regularly is a great way to activate neurogenesis and improve hippocampus damage. Be sure to start with light aerobic exercises, and increase the difficulty level as you improve. A physical therapist can also provide you with exercises for brain injury recovery that are safe and suitable for you.

2. Keep Your Brain Stimulated

Keeping your brain stimulated is another way to improve hippocampus function. The more the brain is stimulated, the more neurons will be fired. When a skill or experience is repeated, the brain learns to trigger the same neurons each time and form neural connections. These connections help the brain communicate with the rest of the body to function properly. Thus, stimulating the brain increases BDNF production and helps improve hippocampus damage.

Some of the best ways to stimulate the brain is by practicing cognitive therapy exercises. A speech-language pathologist is an expert in cognitive therapy exercises and can provide you with exercises that are safe and suitable for you. 

To keep your brain stimulated in between your therapy sessions, you can use the CT Speech & Cognitive Therapy App, which provides access to over 100,000+ exercises you can do from the comfort of your own home. Exercises are based on your ability level and increase in difficulty as you improve. The CT app is also great for hippocampus damage because it targets cognitive functions such as listening, attention, and memory.

Additionally, fun, therapeutic activities for TBI survivors can also help keep the brain stimulated. This can include recreational activities such as:

• Puzzles
• Video Games
• Painting
• Knitting
• Gardening

Shifting focus and paying close attention to your surroundings is another great way to stimulate the brain. Focusing on specific features such as sounds, sights, and smells can help challenge your memory skills, which is essential for hippocampal recovery.

3. Maintain a Healthy, Well-Balanced Diet

Lastly, maintaining a healthy balanced diet is essential for brain injury recovery. More specifically, there are certain foods that help promote BDNF production and enhance memory skills. This can include fatty fish such as salmon, blueberries, dark chocolate, and tumeric roots, just to name a few.

While there are many foods that are beneficial for BDNF production, there are other foods that may actually inhibit the process and decrease hippocampal function. Particularly, foods that contain saturated fats like dairy and fatty meat, or foods with processed sugar can reduce BDNF levels. Avoiding these foods and practicing moderation can help improve hippocampal function.

However, it’s important to note that an excess or lack of certain foods can interfere with specific medications or other pre-existing health conditions like diabetes. Always consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet to ensure it is safe for you.

Recovering from Hippocampus Damage

The hippocampus is one of the most essential structures of the brain involved in memory. When the brain sustains hippocampus damage, it can interfere with the ability to form new memories. Fortunately, the hippocampus is one of the few unique structures that can promote neurogenesis and produce new cells in the adult brain.

Neurogenesis is supported by the production of BDNF which can be increased through aerobic exercises, brain-stimulating activities, and a healthy balanced diet. The more neurogenesis is activated, the higher the chances of reversing hippocampus damage and improving your memory skills.

We hope this article helped you gain a better understanding of hippocampus damage, and how to maximize your chances of recovery.

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