r/science • u/Potential_Being_7226 PhD | Psychology | Neuroscience • 13d ago
Neuroscience Boosting brain’s waste removal system improves memory in old mice | Researchers found that rejuvenating the lymphatic vessels in the brain enhanced recognition memory and restored synaptic function through an interleukin-6 (IL-6) pathway.
https://medicine.washu.edu/news/boosting-brains-waste-removal-system-improves-memory-in-old-mice/
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u/Potential_Being_7226 PhD | Psychology | Neuroscience 13d ago
The lymphatic system is not the same as the circulatory system, although it has some similarities in that the vessels are present throughout the body and lymph fluid circulates. Physical movement promotes movement of lymph in part through pressure on vessels. Although we don’t have a pump mechanism like the heart for the lymphatic system, there is probably a positive effect of increased blood flow on the movement of lymph (although exercise science is not my area of expertise).
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15974632/
There’s some evidence that during sleep, the lymphatic vessels are able to become less circuitous, which makes the resistance lower and allows lymph fluid to flow more easily:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7698404/