Hidden Brain Drain – Nautilus

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nAh, this is what I call the brain drain. A newly described component of the human brain’s waste removal system has been uncovered. A network of lymphatic vessels, called the middle meningeal artery, appears to play an essential role in removing waste from the human brain, according to a team of researchers who recently published their research. Results in iScience.

The scientists, led by Onder Elbiram, a neuroscientist at the Medical University of South Carolina, conducted MRI scans to track the flow of fluid that surrounds the brain in five healthy adults over a five-hour period. They observed a slow drainage of fluid from the underside of the brain, suggesting that this represented lymphatic vessels passively directing waste to be removed from the brain.

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To confirm this MRI data, they used high-resolution imaging to map the area of the brain around the middle meningeal artery, noting the presence of several different types of cells. That map showed the area crowded with cells often found in other lymphatic vessels in the body.

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Surprisingly, the anatomical details of the lymphatic system in the brain are not well characterized. These findings, although in a very small group of people, could begin to illuminate the dark corners of the brain and provide basic knowledge that can be used to diagnose and treat dysfunction in these emerging systems. Al-Bayram said in his article: “The main challenge in brain research is that we still do not fully understand how a healthy brain works and how it ages.” statement. “Once we understand what ‘normal’ looks like, we can recognize early signs of disease and design better treatments.”