Claustrum Helps Hold Working Memory in Mice
A study from UNIGE found that disrupting claustrum neuron activity cut working memory performance in mice by half.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Alzheimer’s
Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) reported in Nature Communications on 14 October 2026 that the claustrum contributes to working memory maintenance in mice. Temporarily reducing the activity of claustrum neurons cut working memory performance in half.
Why it matters
Working memory holds information for a few seconds so it can be compared, manipulated, and used to guide behavior, making it central to everyday cognition. The findings identify a deep brain structure linked to this process and could help researchers understand cognitive disorders such as schizophrenia or ADHD.
The study used optogenetics to alter claustrum activity in mice during a task requiring them to hold a smell or touch across a waiting period. Stimulus identity remained decodable from recordings for up to 30 seconds, but the exact neural pathways linking the claustrum to cortical networks remain undetermined.
The players
University of Geneva (UNIGE)
A public research university in Geneva, Switzerland, where the claustrum working memory research was conducted.
The details
Mice received an initial stimulus, waited several seconds, then received a second stimulus and judged whether the two were identical or different. Disrupting the claustrum impaired use of temporarily held information without affecting perception itself, and the effect was similar for olfactory and tactile stimuli regardless of when disruption occurred during the wait.
Timeline
14 October 2026: Study published in Nature Communications.
Big Picture
Optogenetics, which uses light to switch selected neurons on or off, lets researchers test the causal role of specific circuits, and this study applies it to the claustrum to probe working memory. Researchers examined the claustrum because its anatomy suggests it could influence information from very different networks, since its neurons connect to almost all regions of the cortex.
The findings are at an early, mouse-based stage and do not yet change any treatment or diagnosis. Researchers plan to determine how the claustrum communicates with cortical networks, which could eventually inform future work on cognitive disorders.
The takeaway
Working memory depends on a deep brain structure that is connected to nearly the whole cortex, which helps explain how the brain keeps information available for short periods. Understanding such circuits may clarify how cognitive function breaks down in certain disorders.
Further reading
For more on memory research, see the Alzheimer’s section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SciTechDaily.
