Hippocampus Helps the Brain Anticipate What Comes Next

A themed collection of research articles published in Philosophical Transactions B and co-edited by Professor Peter Kok (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology), shows how the hippocampus, a brain region long associated with memory, plays a central role in predicting what comes next.

Traditionally, memory and perception have been studied as separate processes. Memory was thought to store past experiences, while perception handled incoming sensory information. However, growing evidence suggests that memory and perception are deeply intertwined, working together through prediction.

At the centre of this shift is the hippocampus – a brain region that has been widely studied for its role in long-term memory and navigation. However, recent research shows that it contributes to a far broader set of functions. These include attention, visual processing, imagination, decision-making, and even the way we move our eyes through a scene. What unifies these different abilities is the hippocampus’s capacity to learn associations and use them to anticipate future events.

Commenting on this paradigm shift, Professor Peter Kok said: “Rather than simply storing the past, the hippocampus allows us to simulate what might happen next. This predictive function is what enables us to navigate complex environments, interpret ambiguous information, and make informed decisions.”

A central theme across the research in this special issue is ‘prediction error’, the difference between what is expected and what is actually experienced. When predictions are wrong, the brain updates its internal model of the world. This process strengthens learning and refines perception. For example, when reaching for a familiar object in the dark, prior knowledge helps guide what we expect to see and feel. Any mismatch between expectation and reality prompts a rapid correction in perception.

Professor Kok said: “The hippocampus actively generates hypotheses about the world and updates them as new information arrives. This continuous loop is fundamental to adaptive behaviour.

“This emerging framework could also have practical implications, for example supporting people with memory disorders. Technologies such as wearable devices or smartphone-based tools may one day help individuals use past experiences to better navigate everyday situations, even when memory function is impaired.”

Reference: Aly M, Barense M, Kok P. The role of hippocampal predictions in cognition: bridging perception and memory. B PhilT, ed. Philosophical Transactions B. 2026;381(1954):20250236. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2025.0236

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