New research has identified an important role for a small, deep brain region in working memory, the mental ability that allows people to briefly retain and use information. The findings could help scientists better understand how the brain supports thinking, decision-making and everyday tasks.
How the Brain Holds on to Information
Working memory helps people remember the beginning of a sentence while reading the rest, follow a conversation, compare information and make decisions. Unlike long-term memory, it keeps information available for a short period so the brain can use it immediately.
Researchers investigated the role of the claustrum, a thin structure located deep inside the brain and connected to many areas of the cerebral cortex. Although scientists have known about these connections, its contribution to maintaining information over time has remained unclear.
Experiments Reveal a Lasting Memory Signal
In experiments involving mice, researchers presented an initial stimulus, such as an odour or a touch, followed by a waiting period before a second stimulus appeared. The animals had to remember the first stimulus to determine whether the next one was the same or different.
Recordings showed that activity in neurons within the claustrum continued to carry information about the first stimulus during the waiting period. The researchers could still identify the original stimulus from this activity for up to 30 seconds, even after the stimulus itself had disappeared.
The team also temporarily disrupted the activity of claustrum neurons. When this happened, the mice’s working-memory performance fell by approximately half. Their ability to perceive the stimuli remained intact, suggesting that the disruption affected the use of temporarily stored information rather than basic perception.
Why the Discovery Matters
The findings highlight the claustrum as one component of the wider network of brain regions involved in working memory. This ability depends on several connected areas working together, rather than on a single structure operating alone.
Understanding these neural circuits could eventually help researchers investigate conditions in which working memory is affected, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia. However, the experiments were conducted in mice, so further research is needed to establish how the findings apply to the human brain.
The study provides a new lead for exploring how the brain keeps information available long enough to support thought and action. It does not yet offer a treatment for memory-related conditions, but it adds to scientific understanding of the mechanisms behind everyday thinking.
