Metabolic influence of the hippocampus on hypothalamus, preoptic and basal forebrain is exerted through amygdalofugal pathways.

The spread of ventral hippocampal afterdischarge activity to nuclei of the basal diencephalon was studied in rats with fornix lesions and combined lesions of the fornix and stria terminalis. The results indicate that a major hippocampal influence on specific hypothalamic, preoptic and basal forebrain structures is conveyed by way of the amygdala's stria terminalis. An additional hippocampal influence on certain basal forebrain nuclei is consistent with projections via the ventral amygdalofugal pathway.