Longevity & AgingNon-Invasive Neck Massage Doubles Brain Fluid Drainage in Aged Mice
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) clears toxic proteins like amyloid-beta from the brain, and impaired drainage is linked to Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. Researchers at KAIST mapped the full pathway of CSF outflow from meningeal lymphatics through the skull base, periorbital, nasal, and hard palate lymphatics, ultimately draining into submandibular lymph nodes via superficial cervical lymphatics (scLVs). They found that aged mice had fewer lymphatics in the nasal mucosa and hard palate, and impaired nitric oxide signaling in scLVs. Critically, a non-invasive force-regulated mechanical device applied to the neck skin doubled CSF outflow in both young and aged mice, largely restoring drainage function without surgery. This finding opens a potential therapeutic avenue for age-related CSF clearance decline.
