The claustrum drives large-scale interactions of cortical circuits relevant to long-term memory

Abstract

The consolidation and recall of episodic memories rely on distributed cortical activity. The claustrum, a subcortical structure reciprocally connected to most of the cortex, may facilitate inter-areal communication necessary for these processes. We report here that the functional inhibition of claustral projection neurons affects directional interactions and the coordination of oscillatory neuronal patterns in the fronto-parietal network. Moreover, the inhibition of these neurons has a detrimental effect on concurrent oscillatory events relevant to the consolidation of contextual fear memory. Last, we demonstrate that biasing the directional flow of information between the latter two cortical areas enhances the retrieval of a remote contextual memory. We propose that the claustrum orchestrates inter-areal cortical interactions relevant to contextual memory processes by affecting the latency of neuronal responses.One-Sentence SummaryThe claustrum coordinates inter-areal cortical activity.

A distinct Down state assembly in retrosplenial cortex during slow-wave sleep

“…This discrepancy could be due to technical differences, regarding the optostimulation protocol (short vs. long) or mouse line (wildtype vs. transgenic). Furthermore, recent work revealed that CLA disruption led to changes in RSC network communication with the prefrontal cortex, along with contextual fear memory processing [59]. This supports the CLA's ability to orchestrate communication across the cortex due to its vast connectivity [3].…”

A toolbox for genetic targeting of the claustrum

“…Given its unique connectivity map, the CLA has recently sparked broad interest, and been attributed various functions, including a role in consciousness 9,10 , saliency detection 11,12 , and synchronization of neuronal activity 13 . Recent functional studies, primarily in mice, have suggested roles in a wide range of activities and processes such as behavioral flexibility 14,15 , attention 16,17 , sleep [18][19][20] , contextual fear conditioning [21][22][23] , top-down action control 24 , impulse control [25][26][27] , modulation of cortical activity 28 , pain processing [29][30][31] , contextual association of reward 32 , and behavioral stress response 33 , among others. While the multifunctional role of the CLA is increasingly recognized, its study has been challenged by difficulties in accurately targeting the structure in murine models due to its complex topology.…”