A new review paper, published in the journal Brain, has shown that a mysterious brain region called the claustrum may play an important role in the experience of pain. This densely interconnected, but difficult to access area of the brain may be the next frontier in improving outcomes for brain damage patients.
The claustrum is a brain region that has been investigated for over 200 years, yet its precise function remains unknown. A 2005 article suggested it to be critically linked to consciousness, which spurred a renewed interest in this region, with recent research revealing its high level of interconnectedness.
Oxford University researchers reviewed studies of patients with rare cases of lesions in the claustrum, which show cognitive impairments and seizures. There may be many more cases to be uncovered due to the lack of clinical focus on the claustrum.
They also uncovered an underappreciated link between the claustrum and pain. It is already known that there are links between the claustrum and perception, salience and the sleep-wake cycle, but this is the first time a research team has shown how the claustrum might be more involved in the debilitating experience of pain.
Dr. Adam Packer, the lead author of the study, says that “The problem with understanding how the claustrum works is that it is deep inside the brain, and damage that is specific to it is a very rare occurrence. What makes it more difficult to work out what the claustrum actually does is that these rare occurrences are also linked to such a broad range of symptoms.”
“Clearly, when the claustrum is damaged the effects are severe and better therapies are urgently needed. It is possible that claustrum damage is more common than we currently realise, and it may be a crucial component in many more brain damage cases.”
“This work is important because it gives us some insight into the cognitive and neurological processes in which the claustrum may be involved, and gives us targets to pursue in basic research in the lab.”
The researchers found several recorded instances of either infection, autoimmune, or other process that attacked the claustrum in particular, and by analysing the results of these studies and others the most common symptoms in patients were cognitive impairment and seizures.
Additional research is needed for a better understanding of the claustrum and the impact of damage to the claustrum, which could eventually change clinical guidelines.
Source: University of Oxford
