Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson and Alzheimer’s diseases, are frequently associated with an accumulation of abnormal proteins inside the brain. These accumulations interfere with the normal functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) and thus lead to cognitive or physical impairments associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Understanding how the CNS gets rid of waste products could help prevent, or treat those diseases.
Cerebrospinal fluid plays a role, amongst others, in the clearance of waste products from the brain. It was proven that it circulates in a network of channels around the brain’s blood vessels called the perivascular space (1). This system, first characterized in mice (2), works as a lymphatic system to filter out wastes, such as phospho-tau proteins and amyloid β peptides from the brain, and was named the glymphatic system, since it is dependent on the water flux from glial cells. A team from Oregon Health & Science University recently demonstrated that this glymphatic system also exists in humans, and serves the same crucial role (3). Interestingly, other studies have shown that our lifestyle directly impacts the good functioning of the glymphatic system, such as physical activities (4), and more interestingly, sleep quality (5,6). While it emphasizes the importance of having a good sleep routine, it also suggests that sleep improvement could have a positive impact on the life quality of people living with neurological diseases.
Good night, sleep tight, let the glymphatic crew clean the site.