Clearance mechanisms of the glymphatic/lymphatic system in the brain: new therapeutic perspectives for cognitive impairment

The glymphatic/lymphatic system of the brain has been an important discovery in the field of neuroscience in recent years. As the "waste clearance network" of the central nervous system, it clears metabolic products and neurotoxic substances through the cerebrospinal fluid-interstitial fluid circulation, which is crucial for maintaining the homeostasis of the intracerebral environment and plays important roles in learning, memory and other advanced cognitive functions. The glymphatic/lymphatic system is crucial for the clearance of beta-amyloid and tau proteins, and thus the abnormal function of this system has been confirmed to be closely related to the pathological mechanisms of various diseases associated with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and vascular dementia. The physiological function of this system is influenced by a variety of factors, especially when it is relatively active during sleep. The application of noninvasive imaging techniques to assess glymphatic/lymphatic system function has facilitated the development of clinical research. Therefore, a focus on the role of the cerebral glymphatic/lymphatic system in cognitive impairment and an understanding of its relationship with cognitive impairment from a new perspective are of great scientific and clinical importance.