RRH: Demystifying the elusive claustrum and how it orchestrates slow-wave activity in the brain

For such a wispy, diminutive region of the brain, the claustrum has been the subject of some audacious speculation. The most remarkable came from Francis Crick, of DNA double-helix fame, and renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch: they speculated that the claustrum, which is located deep within the brain structure, might be the seat of consciousness, likening it to a conductor of an orchestra. This theory had never been proven. But now, a mouse study by a team let by Yoshihiro Yoshihara of the RIKEN Center for Brain Science has shown that the pair was partly right.
Reference:
Narikiyo, K., Mizuguchi, R., Ajima, A., Shiozaki, M., Hamanaka, H., Johansen, J. P., Mori, K. & Yoshihara, Y. The claustrum coordinates cortical slow-wave activity. Nature Neuroscience 23, 741-753 (2020).
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