Quantitative Imaging of Brain Glymphatic Function in Humans

Recent immunological and physiological studies have provided evidence in support of a central nervous system (CNS) lymphatic drainage system in vertebrate animals, and preliminary evidence has suggested that a similar system exists in humans. If operative, this system may have central relevance to many vascular and fluid clearance disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease related dementia (ADRD): diseases which represent some of the most pressing healthcare challenges of the 21st century. Evaluating this possibility will require improved, robust imaging methods sensitive to lymphatic drainage dysfunction; as such, the goal of this work is to apply novel magnetic resonance imaging approaches, optimized already for evaluating lymphatic circulation in patients with peripheral lymphatic dysfunction, to quantify relationships between physiological hallmarks of ADRD and CNS lymphatic function in humans.