The claustrum as hub and its role orchestrating dynamics of the cerebral cortex

• Applicant: Dr. Martin Vinck, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Experimental and Theoretical Network Neuroscience
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 505660261

The wide-spread connectivity of the claustrum with the cortex led to the suggestion that it is involved in higher-cognitive functions including consciousness. More recently tract tracing in mouse suggested a topographical organization of connections linking cortex and claustrum. These findings were paralleled by the demonstration of sensory regionalization in claustrum. Together these structural and functional findings challenge the globality of cortico-claustral interactions and therefore its involvement in higher cognitive function such as consciousness. Here we undertake anatomical and physiological experiments to address the role of the claustrum in cortical function of primates. Preliminary work has been carried out on the spatial embedding of the claustrum in the cortical network using tract tracing to determine the weights and distances of pathways linking cortical areas and claustrum. This unpublished work suggests that the macaque shows unexpected features in the integration of the claustrum into the interareal cortical network. Completion of this work in the present project will enable us to construct a weighted and directed cortico-claustrum matrix and use graph-theoretic measurements to determine the centrality of the claustrum in the cortical inter-areal network.Recent findings show feedforward inhibition of the cortex via claustral projections to inhibitory cortical cells, provoking a transient down-state followed by a widespread synchronized down-to-up state transition. The rapid state transition and its spatial distribution according to behavioral needs is a major and as yet poorly understood feature of the brain. Our working hypothesis is that the spatial embedding of the claustrum allows it to play a privileged role in facilitating the orchestration of rapid changes of brain state. We shall address this issue using multi-site recordings of a large number of cortical areas together with the claustrum while distinguishing different behavioural and task states, and relate large-scale functional connectivity patterns to anatomical connectivity patterns. We shall further examine the influence of claustrum inactivation on distributed activity in the cortex. To better understand the integration of structure and function we shall develop large-scale models of cortical claustrum integration.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Partner Organisation: Agence Nationale de la Recherche / The French National Research Agency
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Henry Kennedy, Ph.D.