<p>It seems the topic of time perception is quite complicated. In contrast to the place and grid cells in the hippocampus <a href="https://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/content/7/2/a021808.full" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Moser <em>et al</em>., 2015)</a>, the perception of time seems to be distributed across many places in the brain. A review by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4830363/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Fontes <em>et al</em>., 2016)</a> cites 158 papers written between 1980 to 2015 that describe a variety of brain structures relating to the perception of time, including areas in the <strong>frontal cortex, parietal cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum and hippocampus</strong>. It indeed seems to be a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_perception#Neuroscientific_perspectives" rel="nofollow noreferrer">highly distributed system</a> in the brain. The proximity of time cells and place and grid cells in the hippocampus is interesting and is an <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/how-your-brain-experiences-time#:%7E:text=Researchers%20at%20the%20Kavli%20Institute,experience%2C%20says%20Professor%20Edvard%20Moser." rel="nofollow noreferrer">active area of research</a>.</p>
<p><sub><strong>References</strong><br />
<strong>-</strong> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4830363/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Fontes <em>et al</em>., <em>Neurol Int</em> (2016); <strong>8</strong>(1): 59392016</a><br />
<strong>-</strong> <a href="https://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/content/7/2/a021808.full" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Moser <em>et al</em>., Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol (2015); <strong>7</strong>: a021808</a></sub></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-11T13:13:08.817Z
2021-02-12T16:24:48.993Z
2021-02-12T16:24:48.993Z
AliceD
<p>First of all, I have to say I am not a neuroscientist but I like to learn about neuroscience. I understand there are sets of neurons called &quot;place cells&quot; and &quot;grid cells&quot; which encode spatial information in the brain.</p>
<p>My question is simple: Is there a structure in the brain known to encode <strong>temporal</strong> information analogous to place cells? Is anyone aware of some references or experiments on this subject?</p>

<neuroscience><perception><memory><time><spatial-cognition>
Are there "place cells" for temporal encoding?
user1941126
# Are there "place cells" for temporal encoding?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-02-10)

First of all, I have to say I am not a neuroscientist but I like to learn about neuroscience. I understand there are sets of neurons called "place cells" and "grid cells" which encode spatial information in the brain.

My question is simple: Is there a structure in the brain known to encode **temporal** information analogous to place cells? Is anyone aware of some references or experiments on this subject?

**Tags:** neuroscience, perception, memory, time, spatial-cognition


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-02-11. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

It seems the topic of time perception is quite complicated. In contrast to the place and grid cells in the hippocampus [(Moser *et al*., 2015)](https://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/content/7/2/a021808.full), the perception of time seems to be distributed across many places in the brain. A review by [Fontes *et al*., 2016)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4830363/) cites 158 papers written between 1980 to 2015 that describe a variety of brain structures relating to the perception of time, including areas in the **frontal cortex, parietal cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum and hippocampus**. It indeed seems to be a [highly distributed system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_perception#Neuroscientific_perspectives) in the brain. The proximity of time cells and place and grid cells in the hippocampus is interesting and is an [active area of research](https://www.ntnu.edu/how-your-brain-experiences-time#:%7E:text=Researchers%20at%20the%20Kavli%20Institute,experience%2C%20says%20Professor%20Edvard%20Moser.).

**References**  
**-** [Fontes *et al*., *Neurol Int* (2016); **8**(1): 59392016](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4830363/)  
**-** [Moser *et al*., Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol (2015); **7**: a021808](https://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/content/7/2/a021808.full)


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