Can meditation-based approaches improve the cleansing power of the glymphatic system?

Abstract

The glymphatic system, first described in 2012, is a brain-wide perivascular network that plays an important role in promoting interstitial metabolic waste removal from the brain. Glymphatic pathway function has been reported to be dramatically diminished in the aging brain. Furthermore, glymphatic system dysfunction has been linked to a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This waste clearance pathway of the brain is most active during sleep and is largely disengaged during wakefulness. While norepinephrine (NE) is responsible for suppressing the glymphatic function, electroencephalographic slow-wave (delta) activity has a facilitating effect. An intriguing question is whether these regulators of glymphatic activity can be modulated by meditation-based approaches and whether such approaches have the ability to increase glymphatic function in the awake brain. The present article hypothesizes that meditation-based approaches, such as immersive sound meditation, may have the potential to enhance glymphatic pathway transport and solute clearance by reducing NE and increasing slow-wave activity. If confirmed, meditation could be an attractive approach to promoting healthy brain aging and to preventing neurodegenerative conditions like AD.