Editing Place cell (section)

=== Phase precession ===
{{Main|Phase precession}}
The firing of place cells is timed in relation to local [[theta wave]]s, a process termed [[phase precession]].<ref name="OKeefe1993">{{Cite journal|last1=O'Keefe|first1=J|last2=Recce|first2=M. L.|year=1993|title=Phase relationship between hippocampal place units and the EEG theta rhythm|journal=Hippocampus|volume=3|issue=3|pages=317–30|doi=10.1002/hipo.450030307|pmid=8353611|s2cid=6539236}}</ref><ref name="Burgess-2011">{{Cite journal|last1=Burgess|first1=Neil|last2=O’Keefe|first2=John|date=October 2011|title=Models of Place and Grid Cell Firing and Theta Rhythmicity.|journal=Current Opinion in Neurobiology|volume=21|issue=5|pages=734–744|doi=10.1016/j.conb.2011.07.002|issn=0959-4388|pmc=3223517|pmid=21820895}}</ref> Upon entering a place field, place cells will fire in bursts at a particular point in the phase of the underlying theta waves. However, as an animal progresses through the place field, the firing will happen progressively earlier in the phase.<ref name="OKeefe1993" /> It is thought that this phenomenon increases the accuracy of the place coding, and aids in plasticity, which is required for learning.<ref name="OKeefe1993" /><ref name="Burgess-2011" />