Glymphatic System May Play Key Role in Removing Brain Waste

“Right lateral seems to be the position where you have got the best efflux and influx,” Dr. Benveniste said. The findings suggest that sleep position’s effect on the glymphatic system may be relevant for imaging the system in humans, and ultimately for patient care.

—Jake Remaly

Suggested Reading

Eide PK, Ringstad G. MRI with intrathecal MRI gadolinium contrast medium administration: a possible method to assess glymphatic function in human brain. Acta Radiol Open. 2015;4(11):2058460115609635.

Iliff JJ, Chen MJ, Plog BA, et al. Impairment of glymphatic pathway function promotes tau pathology after traumatic brain injury. J Neurosci. 2014;34(49):16180-16193.

Iliff JJ, Wang M, Liao Y, et al. A paravascular pathway facilitates CSF flow through the brain parenchyma and the clearance of interstitial solutes, including amyloid β. Sci Transl Med. 2012;4(147):147ra111.

Lee H, Xie L, Yu M, et al. The effect of body posture on brain glymphatic transport. J Neurosci. 2015;35(31):11034-11044.
Xie L, Kang H, Xu Q, et al. Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain. Science. 2013;342(6156):373-377.