The claustrum acts as a conductor for inputs from the cortical regions so these respective areas do not become unsynchronized. Without the claustrum, one could respond to stimuli that are familiar to the individual but not to complex events.
What is the role of the claustrum in cortical function and neurologic disease?
The claustrum primarily exerts a feedforward inhibitory control over the cortex7,14 and may also orchestrate and integrate cortical activity by boosting synchronized oscillations between cortical areas.
Is the claustrum the seat of consciousness?
Additionally, there is some evidence suggesting that neurons in the claustrum are multimodal, i.e. capable of responding to stimuli of different sensory modalities. All in all, this seems to make the claustrum the perfect structure to integrate sensory information, thus making it the seat of consciousness.
