# The functional organization of the claustrum

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $358,203

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY:
Brown, Solange P., Johns Hopkins University
The broad goal of this proposal is to understand the types of cortical information that are integrated within the
claustrum, a poorly understood brain structure that forms extensive reciprocal connections with the cortex.
Studies have correlated abnormalities in the size and the activity of the claustrum with neuropsychiatric
symptoms in diseases like Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, but the function of the claustrum remains
unclear. A number of theories have been proposed regarding the claustrum's role in sensory processing and
cognition, but the paucity of information on its cellular and functional organization has made it difficult to
validate any of these theories. The proposed study will elucidate the cellular and functional organization of the
claustrum to test three major current hypotheses: 1) that the claustrum plays a role in multimodal sensory
integration, 2) that the claustrum plays a role in the bilateral coordination of sensorimotor behaviors involved in
the exploration of the environment, and 3) that the claustrum plays a role in top-down control of the cortical
response to sensory input. To test these hypotheses, we will use an innovative combination of approaches
including rabies-based trans-synaptic tracing approaches, unitary recordings of synaptic connections among
retrogradely and genetically labeled neurons, optogenetic circuit-mapping techniques, and in vivo studies. By
assessing these theories of claustral function, we will determine mechanisms by which the claustrum
influences cortical activity in the healthy brain and provide important insights into its contributions to
abnormalities in sensory processing and cognition in neurologic and psychiatric diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9914342
- **Project number:** 5R01NS085121-04
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Solange P Brown
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $358,203
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2021-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9914342

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9914342, The functional organization of the claustrum (5R01NS085121-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9914342. Licensed CC0.

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