Specific hippocampal representations are linked to generalized cortical representations in memory.

Memories link information about specific experiences to more general knowledge that is abstracted from and contextualizes those experiences, but how neuronal activity patterns support this link is not known. Here we show that during memory reactivation in a foraging task with multiple spatial paths, specific hippocampal place representations are concurrently and preferentially reactivated with a subset of prefrontal cortical task representations that generalize across different paths. This link between specific and general representations may serve as a neural substrate for abstraction and task guidance in mammals.