Olfactory cortex: model circuit for study of associative memory?

The piriform (olfactory) cortex is a phylogenetically old type of cerebral cortex with parallels in its organization to the architecture of certain 'neural network' models for distributed pattern recognition and association. These features, in combination with unique structural characteristics that facilitate experimental study, make the piriform cortex a potentially good model for analysis of associative (content-addressable) memory processes.