AI reveals how the brain clears harmful waste
AI reveals how the brain clears harmful waste
https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/physics-informed-ai-mri-glymphatic-fluid-flow-velocity-699862/
Publish Date: 2026-05-27 15:37:00
Source Domain: www.rochester.edu
-
Innovative Approach Combines MRI and AI: Scientists are using a combination of MRI scans and AI tools to measure the fluid flow linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, a process associated with the glymphatic system.
-
Mechanics of Fluid Circulation: The team wants to understand how quickly fluid circulates in the brain to wash away metabolic waste, focusing on the slow velocities of the glymphatic system that traditional MRIs cannot detect.
-
Physics-Informed AI: The research team utilized physics-informed AI to determine fluid flow velocities from MRI data by training neural networks on videos of dye spreading across brain tissue, providing insights into the flow speeds.
-
Dual Flow Mechanisms Discovered: The study revealed two main methods of fluid flow in the glymphatic system—one fast and one slow. The fast flow occurs over the brain’s surface, while the slower flow moves through deep brain tissue at a rate significantly slower.
-
Future Goals and Applications: Researchers aim to measure human brain fluid flow to compare healthy brains with diseased ones, potentially leading to early screening and intervention for Alzheimer’s and other brain-related conditions.
-
Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Funding: The research involved collaborative efforts between institutions like the University of Rochester, Brown University, and the University of Copenhagen, and was supported by the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the NIH BRAIN Initiative.
