# University of Geneva shows claustrum sustains working memory in mice

- Published: 2026-11-06 14:47 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Neurotechnology
- Tags: claustrum, working memory, University of Geneva, calcium imaging, optogenetics, delay period
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-e1b308690e918354bebc519f_university_of_geneva/

**Researchers found that silencing claustrum neurons impairs sensory working memory in mice across delay periods without affecting basic perception.**

![University of Geneva shows claustrum sustains working memory in mice](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/972cd7a1fffb30e2.jpg)
*Rama, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr*

Neurobiologists at the University of Geneva identified a causal role for the claustrum in maintaining working memory representations in mice, according to a study published on nature.com [1]. The researchers used microendoscopic calcium imaging, chemogenetics, and optogenetics during sensory-guided behavioral assays to monitor and perturb claustrum activity [1].

## Neural activity during delay periods

The experiments required mice to retain olfactory or tactile sensory cues across delay periods lasting up to 30 seconds to perform target-comparison tasks [1]. In vivo calcium imaging demonstrated that claustrum neurons exhibited cue-evoked activity that persisted throughout the delay interval [1]. This population activity evolved dynamically over time while preserving decodable information about cue identity on individual trials [1]. The claustrum is an extensively interconnected subcortical structure located between the insular cortex and the striatum, which positions it to interact with distributed cortical networks involved in memory maintenance [1].

## Optogenetic and chemogenetic suppression

Temporarily suppressing the excitability of claustrum neurons degraded working memory performance across both olfactory and tactile modalities [1]. According to the authors, targeted optogenetic disruption during encoding, delay maintenance, or comparison phases produced comparable performance decrements [1]. The manipulations did not alter basic sensory processing, motor output, arousal levels, or inhibitory control [1]. The authors concluded that the claustrum directly contributes to holding information over brief intervals to guide goal-directed behavior [1].

## Sources

1. [nature.com](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78363-6)
2. [SciTechDaily](https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-reveal-how-a-mysterious-brain-structure-keeps-memories-from-fading)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-e1b308690e918354bebc519f_university_of_geneva/