Grant: Project Grant

Episodic memory consolidation is required to learn from experience. In the coming decades, memory related disorders will represent a major socioeconomic hurdle that must be overcome. A concerted effort is required to better understand the fundamental neurobiology mechanisms underlying memory formation and how its disruption can be prevented or restored. Sleep is known to play an important role in the memory consolidation. Slow wave sleep is thought to be particularly important for memory consolidation. It is well established that communication between brain regions including the hippocampus and cortex is essential for consolidation during slow-wave sleep. A previously overlooked brain region, the claustrum, was recently shown to play a potentially important role in generating neural activity patterns during cortical slow wave activity. However, a role for the claustrum in memory consolidation has not been experimentally tested. This grant will determine what role claustrum neurons play in mediating the coordination of neural activity between the cortex and hippocampus during sleep-dependent memory. The outcomes will provide novel preclinical data regarding new therapeutic targets for treating memory-related disorders.