Abstract
The hippocampus plays a critical role in supporting spatial and episodic memory. Mechanistic models predict that the hippocampal subfields have computational specializations that support memory in different ways. However, there is little empirical evidence to suggest substantial differences between the subfields, particularly in humans. To clarify how hippocampal subfields support human spatial and episodic memory, we used multivariate analyses of high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from a novel virtual reality paradigm. Multi-voxel pattern similarity analyses revealed that CA1 represented items that shared an episodic context as more similar than those from different episodic contexts. CA23DG showed the opposite pattern, leading to a subfield-by-condition interaction. The complementary characteristics of these subfields explain how we can parse our experiences into cohesive episodes while retaining the specific details that support vivid recollection.