Functional properties of neurons in the Claustrum and their contribution on the processing of multimodal sensory events

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christoph Kayser
• Subject Area: Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: from 2005 to 2008
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 14436042

Our brains are processing a constant flood of sensory events registered through different modalities, such as vision or audition. Sensory information is first processed by specific sensory areas and is integrated at later stages to form unified percepts that may be used for behavioral reactions. This step of integration, although assumed and expected, is very poorly understood. The goal of the current project is to study such multimodal integration and especially to elucidate the role of one largely elusive brain structure, whose unique anatomical connectivity is ideally suited for this process of multimodal integration: the Claustrum. The Claustrum is a subcortical structure with extensive and mostly reciprocal anatomical connectivity to sensory, association and motor areas. To determine the function of the Claustrum we will use functional imaging (fMRI) and electrophysiology in anaesthetized and awake behaving monkeys exposed to visual, auditory and touch stimuli in isolation and combination. Using fMRI we will study the functional organization of the Claustrum at large scale which will serve to guide subsequent electrophysiological experiments. With the same animals MR-visible contrast agents will be used visualize the cortico-Claustral connectivity in vivo and to relate this to regions of multimodal activity. Last, the properties of individual Claustral neurons under `real life conditions¿ will be investigated in awake animals performing a behavioral task.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Host: Professor Dr. Nikos K. Logothetis