• links to https://headache-hurts.com
    links to https://headache-hurts.de

    Learn more about us:

  • Preventing Headache

  • & Migraine Attacks

  • At University

Menu Close
DEEP DIVE

The brain and its nighttime waste disposal team

Your brain produces large amounts of waste products (cellular detritus; remnants of dead cells, proteins and much more) that need to be cleared away to keep your brain healthy.

One example of harmful waste is newly formed proteins that won’t work properly because they do not have the correct three-dimensional shape. Left in place, these misfolded proteins will clump together into aggregates (clusters). Protein clusters of this kind have been linked to a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. That is why it is so very important – in fact vital – to rid the brain of waste products. We’re not just talking about a few milligrams here. Experts estimate that grams of the stuff build up in our brains every day. Proper disposal is a daunting task.

Waste management – but how?

Everywhere but the brain, waste is cleared by lymphatic vessels that run through the body like a network of hydraulic pipes. This network does not serve the brain. The lymphatic system stops outside the brain at the meninges. Waste clearance in the brain is organized by the so-called glymphatic (glial-lymphatic) system. The glymphatic system is a network of very fine channels arranged around the blood vessels in the perivascular space. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows here, propelled by the wave-like motions triggered by the pumping of your heart. The CSF picks up the waste. The waste travels through the perivascular space into your lymphatic system and then into your bloodstream, eventually reaching your liver and kidneys for processing or elimination.

Why does the brain need a special waste disposal system?

Brain cells do not break down most of their waste themselves. Recent research indicates that the brain limits itself to flushing out harmful substances, leaving the rest of the work to the other organs whose job it is anyway. The brain’s unique drainage system is yet another demonstration of the exceptional nature of the brain and just one of the many ways it is special among organs.

Waste disposal while you sleep

Experiments have shown that, when we are awake, the perivascular space is tiny. Not a lot of waste-flushing can be going on in there. But when we sleep, the interstitial (between-cells) space enlarges and perivascular fluid flow can happen. These observations show that waste disposal from the brain mainly takes place at night. And that’s one more reason why sleep is so important to keep your central nervous system functioning smoothly. More food for thought: animal studies have shown that sleep deprivation resulted in greater accumulation of waste products – including amyloids, the protein particles responsible for dementia.

 

  • 1. Iliff JJ, Wang M, Liao Y, Plogg BA, Peng W, Gundersen GA, Benveniste H, Vates GE, Deane R, Goldman SA, Nagelhus EA, Nedergaard M. A paravascular pathway facilitates CSF flow through the brain parenchyma and the clearance of interstitial solutes, including amyloid β. Sci Transl Med. 2012 Aug 15; 4(147): 147ra111. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3003748.

    2. Jessen NA, Munk AS, Lundgaard I, Nedergaard M. The Glymphatic System: A Beginner's Guide. Neurochem Res. 2015 Dec; 40(12): 2583–99. doi: 10.1007/s11064-015-1581-6. Epub 2015 May 7. Review.

    3. Raper D, Louveau A, Kipnis J. How Do Meningeal Lymphatic Vessels Drain the CNS? Trends Neurosci. 2016 Sep; 39(9): 581–586. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2016.07.001. Epub 2016 Jul 25. Review.

    4. Simon MJ, Iliff JJ. Regulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow in neurodegenerative, neurovascular and neuroinflammatory disease. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016 Mar; 1862(3): 442–51. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2015.10.014. Epub 2015 Oct 22. Review.

    5. O'Donnell J, Ding F, Nedergaard M. Distinct functional states of astrocytes during sleep and wakefulness: Is norepinephrine the master regulator? Curr Sleep Med Rep. 2015 Mar; 1(1): 1–8. Epub 2015 Jan 29.

    6. Spektrum der Wissenschaft Kompakt: Schlafen und Träumen. Heidelberg 2015.

    7. Maiken Nedergaard, Steven A. Goldman: Nächtliche Gehirnwäsche. Spektrum der Wissenschaft 12/2016.

    8. Spektrum der Wissenschaft Dossier: Gehirn und Geist, Heidelberg 2012.

    close

Zurück

NOCH MEHR:

LATEST
ARTICLES

DIE NEUSTEN
INFORMATIONEN

Deep Dive

The human brain needs a consistent supply of energy to work properly. Its primary fuel is glucose. Since the central nervous system lacks its own energy stores, the brain relies on a steady supply of
Current Research

How caffeine and headaches interact is among the most common questions asked in the headache community. It’s worth taking a look at the latest research findings and asking what they mean for headache
Deep Dive

Up to ten percent of people with migraine experience the phenomenon known as “aura”. The ancient Greeks used this term to describe a cool breath of air. Today, it is used in medicine to mean the
Deep Dive

Our perception of the world relies on a complex interaction between our brain and our sensory organs. Sensory stimuli that we receive through our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin are converted into
The bigger picture

People with headaches and migraines often feel that their suffering is not taken seriously. Because their pain is not visible to those around them, it’s easy for others to dismiss it as minor or even
Deep Dive

Our bodies are engaged in countless processes around the clock. Most of these happen without us consciously initiating them, and many go completely unnoticed. We breathe in and out all day long
Deep Dive

Headaches affect almost everyone. With their widespread prevalence comes a remarkable array of myths surrounding their causes. Let’s delve into some “classic” headache myths and see if there’s any
Deep Dive

Headaches affect almost everyone. With their widespread prevalence comes a remarkable array of myths surrounding their causes. Let’s delve into some “classic” headache myths and see if there’s any
The bigger picture

Presenteeism in the narrower sense used in this article means when employees show up for work despite being ill. How widespread is this phenomenon? Why do people choose work over rest and recovery?
The bigger picture

Many people believe their headaches are directly related to the weather. We explored the connections in a previous article. The verdict: the science so far has not uncovered any mechanisms that would
Deep Dive

Developed by American doctor and psychologist Edmund Jacobson, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a valuable tool for headache sufferers. As described previously in this article, numerous studies
Deep Dive

How do migraine headaches feel? Are they the same for everyone affected by them? How severe is my pain and how much does it limit me?

People who want to measure pain are faced with a significant
Headaches as a symptom of long COVID

“The coronavirus pandemic is over!” As these words were pronounced a good two years after the outbreak of a hitherto unknown viral infection, which had the whole world paralysed for a long time, there
DEEP DIVE

The medication-overuse headache (referred to hereafter as MOH) has been well-known for a relatively long time. It was first described as an independent phenomenon in 1951. According to its definition,
PREVENTION IN PRACTICE

Studying was badly affected by the coronavirus crisis. Many new students were caught unawares by the suspension of in-person events and could not enjoy lectures and classes in a familiar environment
Prevention in Practice

For many of us, the summer holidays are the best time of year. We have put together several tips in this article on how to achieve real relaxation – regardless of whether you want to take some time
DEEP DIVE

The fact that stress is a key factor in the development of migraine attacks is undisputed and repeatedly backed up by research. In practice, it is clear that people with migraine who succeed in
THE BIGGER PICTURE

Our genes are subject to the laws of evolution. Since the beginnings of humanity, they have undergone constant change, and still do to this day. We know that the course of evolution intends for traits
The bigger picture

We all know about pain. Pain is an important mode of communication between us and our organism. Contrary to what has long been assumed, it seems that there are differences between men and women when
DEEP DIVE

In our last article, we presented several explanatory approaches to the connection between blood pressure and headaches. In this continuation, we will be explaining a further, much-discussed
DEEP DIVE

The question of how headaches and high blood pressure relate to each other has a long tradition in medical research. Even today, the results in this field are very inconsistent and continue to give
Living with Tension-Type Headache

If you sleep badly, you have a higher risk of getting headaches. At the same time, headaches often bring about sleeping problems. It is undisputed that both headaches and bad sleep influence each
The bigger picture

The World Health Organisation (WHO) counts migraine as one of the most severely disabling illnesses affecting humanity; in general, headache disorders are a great burden to those affected by them. In
PREVENTION IN PRACTICE

Stress is an undisputed factor in the development of headaches and migraine. Relaxing and calming measures are important pillars of migraine and headache prevention, and current research supports this
DEEP DIVE

The fact that wearing face masks can effectively prevent getting infected with the coronavirus, is now adequately proven. Covid face masks therefore belong to the repertoire of measures we are
DEEP DIVE

Migraine is a neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Centuries-worth of research into this complex clinical entity is continuing to give birth to new hypotheses. The last few
The bigger picture

The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks migraine among the world’s most disabling illnesses. Yet migraine stigma persists. Many people are skeptical about migraine and other headache disorders,
Prevention in Practice

Holistic management of migraine and other types of headache now offers a treatment arsenal that is about much more than medication alone. In fact, it embraces many elements of behavioral therapy.
The bigger picture

In a world full of sensory overload, silence is something many people only know from hearsay. This article looks at why unplugging from environmental noise is good medicine for headaches and migraine
Prevention in Practice

The classic advice from experts in headache prevention is to drink regularly. Boozing every night? Well, no. They mean staying hydrated and giving your body the fluids it needs. Specialists recommend
DEEP DIVE

The brains of people with migraine have a special way of processing sensory input. Headache research suggests that a migraine brain responds to incoming stimuli sooner and faster than a non-migraine
Living with Migraine

The diet-headache connection is one of the hottest of topics for patients and experts alike. Migraine sufferers often see a direct link between how and what they eat and a migraine attack. This
Give yourself a break

Studies show that headache disorders take a heavy toll on student productivity and performance. Nearly one in three sufferers reported 'severe disability' (the highest severity level) using the MIDAS
The bigger picture

Humans are hard-wired to follow a routine. Your natural 24-hour cycle (circadian rhythm) governs many of the physiological processes in your body, including brain activity, blood pressure, hormones
DEEP DIVE

Paradoxical but true: medications you take for headache relief can themselves trigger headaches. A nervous system control mechanism is behind this phenomenon. Taking painkillers regularly and for a
Living with Migraine

Many people with a migraine will try to get out of the light. Often they have no choice but to go into a dark room and wait for the attack to end. Increased sensitivity to light is common in people
Current Research

All the statistics show that migraine affects women more than men, but experts disagree on what causes this gender gap. The role of sex hormones as migraine triggers is a hot research topic these
Digital stress and its consequences

Digital stress (or technostress) is a burgeoning area of interest in medical and social science research. How does it affect us to be surrounded by digital media in almost every area of our lives?
Prevention in Practice

Congratulations, you made it through another digital semester of online lectures, studying alone on your laptop, the final push to pass your exams. Semester break is here and you so deserve it. As the
Prevention in Practice

Where would we be without our smartphones? Life these days is hard to imagine without a phone to plan the day, find information we need right this second, keep up with hobbies or just to pass the
The bigger picture

Rarely has a saying been more apt than now. Covid is a headache on so many levels. The contact restrictions are causing profound distress. Fear and uncertainty are everywhere. Will it ever go away?
The bigger picture

Do short, gray, sunless winter days get you down? You’re not alone. The science is clear: daylight-deprived winter days affect our mood. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors would say it’s time to retreat
Current Research

Everyone has a different noise tolerance level. One person’s “barely noticeable” is another’s “unbearable”. Many people find it especially hard to be around those everyday sounds we hear all the time.
Prevention in Practice

The most strenuous events are not usually distributed evenly across the week. Monday mornings (that notorious 8. a.m. lecture...) can frazzle your nerves and set the week off to a highly stressful
DEEP DIVE

Vertigo (spinning dizziness) in migraine has only recently gained traction as a research topic. The science on migraine-related vertigo is unclear. One study found that only 10% of people are
Current Research

Coffee ranks high on the headache triggers list. The ingredient that gives you the buzz – caffeine – is one of the best-loved psychostimulants (uppers) ever. As a pick-me-up at work or just to hang
Prevention in Practice

In a 2018 study by Turner and Houle, headache patients were asked what factors commonly trigger their pain. Three-quarters said stress was the main trigger, closely followed by "irregular meals" and
The bigger picture

Teeth grinding (bruxism) has been commonly linked to headache. Bruxism is not a niche phenomenon. One in five female college students and one-tenth of their male peers are aware that they clench or
The bigger picture

The exercise-headache connection continues to vex scientists. Conducting genuine evidence-based science is hard because, first, the research conditions are difficult to standardize; second, many of
Living with Migraine

Migraine is not an allergic disorder, but migraine is more common in people with allergies. Doctors noticed the link more than a century ago. Individual case reports dating mainly from the first half
The bigger picture

The "HEADACHE HURTS" campaign taught us that (especially if you have migraine) about 7 hours of regular, undisturbed sleep is a great way to stop horrible headache attacks or at least not provoke them
Prevention in Practice

Headaches make it harder to think, reason and remember – so when you need to be on top of your game, pampering your brain is crucial. Proactive headache prevention is essential, because you need to be
The bigger picture

The impact of weather on wellbeing features regularly on just about every media channel you could name. With so many people reporting that changes in the weather trigger a migraine or tension-type
Prevention in Practice

Careful nutrition can help prevent headaches. But careful nutrition doesn’t just mean what you eat, but when and how. Migraine patients benefit from a regular daily routine that is less likely to
DEEP DIVE

The term “stress” as used today was coined by Hans Selye, a Hungarian-Canadian clinician who defined it as "the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change". Selye once called stress