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Neuronal dynamics direct cerebrospinal fluid perfusion and brain clearance
Open accessAbstract
The accumulation of metabolic waste is a leading cause of numerous neurological disorders, yet we still have only limited knowledge of how the brain performs self-cleansing. Here we demonstrate that neural networks synchronize individual action potentials to create large-amplitude, rhythmic and self-perpetuating ionic waves in the interstitial fluid of the brain. These waves are a plausible mechanism to explain the correlated potentiation of the glymphatic flow 1,2 through the brain parenchyma. Chemogenetic flattening of these high-energy ionic waves largely impeded cerebrospinal fluid infiltration into and clearance of molecules from the brain parenchyma. Notably, synthesized waves generated through transcranial optogenetic stimulation substantially potentiated cerebrospinal fluid-to-interstitial fluid perfusion. Our study demonstrates that neurons serve as master organizers for brain clearance. This fundamental principle introduces a new theoretical framework for the functioning of macroscopic brain waves.
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Glymphatic flow is enhanced by optogenetic stimulation of excitatory neurons in hippocampus across a broad range of frequencies.
“glymphatic flow is enhanced by optogenetic stimulation of excitatory neurons in hippocampus across a broad range of frequencies89”
From Norepinephrine-mediated slow vasomotion drives glymphatic clearance during sleep (2025) · cites this paper as [89]
The “Synthesized waves enhance CSF-to-ISF perfusion” section reports increased tracer infiltration in the hippocampus after optogenetic stimulation at 1 Hz and 8 Hz. The Methods identify a CaMKIIa-ChRmine vector used for activation. The claim overstates the frequency evidence: the paper tests two stimulation frequencies, not a broad range. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredNeural synchrony drives glymphatic clearance.
“Common to both studies was the finding that neural synchrony drive glymphatic clearance.”
From Norepinephrine-mediated slow vasomotion drives glymphatic clearance during sleep (2025) · cites this paper as [89]
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Norepinephrine-mediated slow vasomotion drives glymphatic clearance during sleep
Hauglund, N. L., Andersen, M., Tokarska, K., Radovanovic, T., Kjaerby, C., Sørensen, F. L., Bojarowska, Z., Untiet, V., Ballestero, S. B., Kolmos, M. G., et al. (2025) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2024.11.027 · Cited by 349
The brain washing system in sepsis-associated encephalopathy
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Metadata
- Authors
- Jiang-Xie, L.-F., Drieu, A., Bhasiin, K., Quintero, D., Smirnov, I., & Kipnis, J.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Jiang-Xie, Li-Feng
- Kipnis, Jonathan
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2024-02-28
- Volume
- 627
- Issue
- 8002
- Pages
- 157-164
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- PMC
- PMC12054998
- OpenAlex
- W4392242192
- Cited by
- 220
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 89 · 2025: 98 · 2024: 33
- FWCI
- 55.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (DP1AT010416, R01AT011419)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Clinical Neurology › Cerebrospinal fluid and hydrocephalus
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Ion Transport and Channel Regulation
- Keywords
- glymphatic system, cerebrospinal fluid flow, brain clearance, neuronal synchronization, interstitial fluid, brain parenchyma, optogenetic stimulation, chemogenetic inhibition, brain waste clearance, neural oscillations
- MeSH terms
- Parenchymal Tissue, Glymphatic System, Action Potentials, Brain, Cerebrospinal Fluid, Ions, Kinetics, Nerve Net, Neurons, Extracellular Fluid, Brain Waves, Optogenetics
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