The medial temporal lobe (MTL) is widely implicated in supporting episodic memory and
navigation, but its precise functional role in organizing memory across time and space
remains elusive. Here we examine the specific cognitive processes implemented by MTL
structures (hippocampus and entorhinal cortex) to organize memory by using electrical brain
stimulation, leveraging its ability to establish causal links between brain regions and
features of behavior. We studied neurosurgical patients of both sexes who performed spatial …

The medial temporal lobe (MTL) plays a key role in encoding episodic memories for various
types 44 of spatial and temporal information (Eichenbaum, 2004; Cohen & Eichenbaum,
1993; Ekstrom et al., 45 2011). The importance of the MTL for memory is now well accepted,
as researchers have reported 46 concordant evidence from multiple methods, including
observational studies of lesion patients 47 (Scoville & Milner, 1957), experiments in rodents
(O'Keefe & Dostrovsky, 1971), and, more recently, 48 with data from noninvasive …