Speaker: Dr. Hiroaki Norimoto Department of Neural Systems and Coding, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
Subject: "Dragons, Sleep, and the Claustrum"
Summary: The mammalian claustrum, owing to its widespread connectivity with other forebrain structures, has been hypothesized to mediate functions ranging from decision making to consciousness. We report that a homolog of the claustrum, identified by single-cell transcriptomics and viral tracing of connectivity, exists also in reptiles. There, it is intimately involved in the control of brain dynamics during sleep, such as the generation of sharp-waves, present during slow-wave sleep. It is also characterized by converging input from mid- and hindbrain areas involved in wake-sleep control. The claustrum is therefore an ancient brain structure, with a potentially important role in the widespread control of brain states consistent with its position as a hub in the forebrain.
