glymphatic system

American  

[glim-fat-ik] / glɪmˈfæt ɪk /

noun

1. Anatomy. the system or process by which cerebrospinal fluid moves through channels formed by glia, cleansing the mammalian brain of harmful waste.

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Other Word Forms

• glymphatic adjective

Etymology

Origin of glymphatic system

First recorded in 2008–13; glia + lymphatic system

Example Sentences

Dr. Amin emphasized that understanding how repeated head impacts affect the glymphatic system is essential for identifying neurodegenerative risk early in athletes who participate in contact sports.

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2025

"Even when Aβ is reduced by lecanemab, impairment of the glymphatic system may not recover within the short-term," Oura said.

From Science Daily • Nov. 11, 2025

Her main concern, shared by others, is that inserting the dye portal damaged the brain—the glymphatic system is delicate and could easily collapse.

From Science Magazine • May 24, 2024

A glymphatic system might still cleanse the brain, the researchers say, but sleep actually slows this cleansing down.

From Science Magazine • May 24, 2024

Then they set out to measure whether there was any correlated change in the fluids that flow through the glymphatic system to carry away wastes.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2024