Individual neurons coordinate to produce rhythmic waves that propel fluid through dense brain tissue, washing the tissue in the process, according to new research from Washington University in St Louis.
“These neurons are miniature pumps,” said Dr. Li-Feng Jiang-Xie, first author of the study.
“Synchronized neural activity powers fluid flow and removal of debris from the brain.”
“If we can build on this process, there is the possibility of delaying or even preventing neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, in which excess waste — such as metabolic waste and junk proteins — accumulate in the brain and lead to neurodegeneration.”
Brain cells orchestrate thoughts, feelings and body movements, and form dynamic networks essential for memory formation and problem-solving.
But to perform such energy-demanding tasks, brain cells require fuel. Their consumption of nutrients from the diet creates metabolic waste in the process.
“It is critical that the brain disposes of metabolic waste that can build up and contribute to neurodegenerative diseases,” said Professor Jonathan Kipnis, senior author of the study.
“We knew that sleep is a time when the brain initiates a cleaning process to flush out waste and toxins it accumulates during wakefulness. But we didn’t know how that happens.”
“These findings might be able to point us toward strategies and potential therapies to speed up the removal of damaging waste and to remove it before it can lead to dire consequences.”
But cleaning the dense brain is no simple task. Cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain enters and weaves through intricate cellular webs, collecting toxic waste as it travels.
Upon exiting the brain, contaminated fluid must pass through a barrier before spilling into the lymphatic vessels in the dura mater — the outer tissue layer enveloping the brain underneath the skull.
But what powers the movement of fluid into, through and out of the…
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