5 ms·

Scientists Discover How Brains Keep Clean

94 points by a5seo 14y ago

splicer 14y ago
I'm going to go drink another glass of water...
nacker 14y ago
To me, this article boiled down to two sentences: "Cerebrospinal fluid flowed along the outside of blood vessels, carried through a network of pipe-like protein structures. The fluid picked up waste that accumulated between cells, then drained out through major veins." Unfortunately, it didn't deal with intracellular waste, which is a major issue over a lifetime. The only known way of addressing that is through caloric restriction. Some links: http://www.hyperink.com/Fasting-For-Cleansing-Autophagy-b274a336 http://www.hyperink.com/Fasting-For-Cleansing-Autophagy-b274... http://www.pittsburghpatrika.com/2012/06/fasting-is-good-for-you-it-helps-remove-waste-debris-at-the-cellular-level/ http://www.pittsburghpatrika.com/2012/06/fasting-is-good-for... http://www.nature.com/cdd/journal/v12/n2s/fig_tab/4401728ft.html http://www.nature.com/cdd/journal/v12/n2s/fig_tab/4401728ft.... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670399/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670399/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16874025 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16874025 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996109000047 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996109... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670399/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670399/ Bottom line, there is NO FREE LUNCH!
- thesz 14y ago
  So does intermittent fasting: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-brain-function/#axzz23iqMIMSv http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-brain-function/#axzz2... I mention that because I hate calorie restriction.
- ericxb 14y ago
  Consuming trehalose (a sugar) may also help. http://metamodern.com/2010/09/15/trehalose-autophagy-and-brain-repair-sweet/ http://metamodern.com/2010/09/15/trehalose-autophagy-and-bra...
jaekwon 14y ago
Water channels around blood vessels... looks like the channels might be powered by heartbeats as well.
- nodata 14y ago
  Interesting. So how does this affect people who have non-beating pacemakers?
  - jaekwon 14y ago
    good question
jacques_chester 14y ago
Looks like an exciting new avenue of research.
iSnow 14y ago
Maybe I am completely off track, but you don't need radioactive marker molecules if you go for two-photon imaging, you need fluorescent markers. Also, it is sad to see that even today, every publication in the neurobiology field has to mention Alzheimer's. It's about finding how the brain works, and if it is applicable to Alzheimer's, then great, but at the current state, this is a very long shot.
- jacques_chester 14y ago
  I think the connection is made to Alzheimers because ... there might be a connection. Like they say right there in the article, one of the waste products is amyloid. Given amyloid buildup is pretty much what we consider Alzheimers to be, I don't see why it's ridiculous to pencil in an arrow here. I mean if some people's bathtubs were overflowing and scientists had just discovered how drains work, don't you think it would be reasonable to speculate on a connection?
  - thundara 14y ago
    It's also an extremely important medical condition to treat. If you show promise of a breakthrough in treating Alzheimer's, you can save hundreds of thousands of minds every single year. With the upcoming wave of elderly in the US, the cost of untreated Alzheimer's is predicted to skyrocket.
    - jacques_chester 14y ago
      In fairness to iSnow, I'm not a disinterested observer. I have skin in this game.
      - thundara 14y ago
        Last I checked, it wasn't clear whether the amyloid plaque buildup was a cause or side effect of Alzheimer's. Has the understanding of this changed in the past four years?
somedayme 14y ago
I don't know about you, but my brain is totally dirty.
firefoxman1 14y ago
Could this be why vasodilators like vimpocetine improve mental performance? Maybe it's half about getting more nutrients to the brain and half improving the garbage collector?
- itmag 14y ago
  Do you have personal experience with nootropics? :)
  - crusso 14y ago
    Nootropics. Great word to google. Given the importance of the brain in human endeavors, it's astounding that we're still flailing around trying to figure out how it works. If we attacked issues with the brain like we attacked problems of getting to Mars, we could be much better prepared as a society to reach further heights.
  - firefoxman1 14y ago
    Yeah, I've been trying several different types for the past 6 months or so.
    - itmag 14y ago
      Please email me.
stretchwithme 14y ago
I would not be surprised if exercise accelerated the brain's waste removal.
egeozcan 14y ago
I've seen the title and the first idea I had was "oh well it must be the most optimized garbage collector, ever". It's not weird to think that, right?

94 points by a5seo 14y ago

I'm going to go drink another glass of water...

To me, this article boiled down to two sentences: "Cerebrospinal fluid flowed along the outside of blood vessels, carried through a network of pipe-like protein structures. The fluid picked up waste that accumulated between cells, then drained out through major veins." Unfortunately, it didn't deal with intracellular waste, which is a major issue over a lifetime. The only known way of addressing that is through caloric restriction. Some links: http://www.hyperink.com/Fasting-For-Cleansing-Autophagy-b274a336 http://www.hyperink.com/Fasting-For-Cleansing-Autophagy-b274... http://www.pittsburghpatrika.com/2012/06/fasting-is-good-for-you-it-helps-remove-waste-debris-at-the-cellular-level/ http://www.pittsburghpatrika.com/2012/06/fasting-is-good-for... http://www.nature.com/cdd/journal/v12/n2s/fig_tab/4401728ft.html http://www.nature.com/cdd/journal/v12/n2s/fig_tab/4401728ft.... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670399/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670399/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16874025 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16874025 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996109000047 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996109... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670399/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670399/ Bottom line, there is NO FREE LUNCH!

thesz 14y ago
So does intermittent fasting: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-brain-function/#axzz23iqMIMSv http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-brain-function/#axzz2... I mention that because I hate calorie restriction.
ericxb 14y ago
Consuming trehalose (a sugar) may also help. http://metamodern.com/2010/09/15/trehalose-autophagy-and-brain-repair-sweet/ http://metamodern.com/2010/09/15/trehalose-autophagy-and-bra...

jaekwon 14y ago

Water channels around blood vessels... looks like the channels might be powered by heartbeats as well.

nodata 14y ago
Interesting. So how does this affect people who have non-beating pacemakers?
- jaekwon 14y ago
  good question

jacques_chester 14y ago

Looks like an exciting new avenue of research.

iSnow 14y ago

Maybe I am completely off track, but you don't need radioactive marker molecules if you go for two-photon imaging, you need fluorescent markers. Also, it is sad to see that even today, every publication in the neurobiology field has to mention Alzheimer's. It's about finding how the brain works, and if it is applicable to Alzheimer's, then great, but at the current state, this is a very long shot.

jacques_chester 14y ago
I think the connection is made to Alzheimers because ... there might be a connection. Like they say right there in the article, one of the waste products is amyloid. Given amyloid buildup is pretty much what we consider Alzheimers to be, I don't see why it's ridiculous to pencil in an arrow here. I mean if some people's bathtubs were overflowing and scientists had just discovered how drains work, don't you think it would be reasonable to speculate on a connection?
- thundara 14y ago
  It's also an extremely important medical condition to treat. If you show promise of a breakthrough in treating Alzheimer's, you can save hundreds of thousands of minds every single year. With the upcoming wave of elderly in the US, the cost of untreated Alzheimer's is predicted to skyrocket.
  - jacques_chester 14y ago
    In fairness to iSnow, I'm not a disinterested observer. I have skin in this game.
    - thundara 14y ago
      Last I checked, it wasn't clear whether the amyloid plaque buildup was a cause or side effect of Alzheimer's. Has the understanding of this changed in the past four years?

somedayme 14y ago

I don't know about you, but my brain is totally dirty.

firefoxman1 14y ago

Could this be why vasodilators like vimpocetine improve mental performance? Maybe it's half about getting more nutrients to the brain and half improving the garbage collector?

itmag 14y ago
Do you have personal experience with nootropics? :)
- crusso 14y ago
  Nootropics. Great word to google. Given the importance of the brain in human endeavors, it's astounding that we're still flailing around trying to figure out how it works. If we attacked issues with the brain like we attacked problems of getting to Mars, we could be much better prepared as a society to reach further heights.
- firefoxman1 14y ago
  Yeah, I've been trying several different types for the past 6 months or so.
  - itmag 14y ago
    Please email me.

stretchwithme 14y ago

I would not be surprised if exercise accelerated the brain's waste removal.

egeozcan 14y ago

I've seen the title and the first idea I had was "oh well it must be the most optimized garbage collector, ever". It's not weird to think that, right?