Brain waste clearance improved in mice with electromagnetic therapy
The brain cleans itself during sleep by flushing waste products through a network of fluid channels. With age, this system becomes less effective. Researchers have now tested a non-invasive way to restore it, with promising early results in mice.
The glymphatic system carries waste products out of the brain, including proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease. It operates mainly during sleep and relies on water channels called aquaporin-4 (AQP4), found in brain cells called astrocytes. With ageing, AQP4 becomes less well-positioned in the extended arm-like structures of astrocytes, reducing the efficiency of waste removal.
Electromagnetic waves boost brain drainage in mice
Researchers investigated whether electromagnetic waves at 40.68 MHz, known as ultrashort waves (USW), can stimulate this system in mice. The study was published in Science Advances. Within ten minutes of exposure, fluid flow through the brain increased noticeably. The treatment improved the positioning of a key water channel protein on the arm-like structures of brain support cells, and also increased slow brain rhythms, which are normally associated with efficient brain waste clearance.
Also effective in brain injury and Alzheimer mouse models
In further experiments, electromagnetic therapy reduced brain swelling after traumatic brain injury in mice. In an animal model of Alzheimer's disease, it improved cognitive function by restoring brain waste clearance, the researchers report. All findings come from animal experiments. Whether the same effects occur in humans, and whether the approach is safe, has not yet been investigated.
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