Skip to main content
Fig. 1 | Acta Neuropathologica Communications

Fig. 1

From: Defining novel functions for cerebrospinal fluid in ALS pathophysiology

Fig. 1

Overview of the glymphatic system. A combination of various forces, including vascular pulsation and respiration, drives the influx of CSF from the subarachnoid space into the periarterial space, or Virchow-Robin space. CSF then moves into the interstitial space, with its entry being promoted by AQP4 channels lining the astrocyte endfeet. A convective flow drives ISF towards the perivenous spaces, carrying solutes, including metabolic waste products, along. As ISF moves from the extracellular space into the perivenous space, it can be drained from the CSF circulation through pathways such as the olfactory route. This highly organised system, enabling rapid CSF-ISF exchange, is known as the glymphatic system

Back to article page