The Brain’s Plumbing Goes Awry in Huntington’s Disease
A new neuroimaging study reveals significant structural and functional alterations in the brain’s neurofluid pathways in patients with Huntington disease (HD). Researchers used advanced MRI techniques to find that the choroid plexus, which produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and a major CSF outflow pathway are enlarged in HD patients. These structural changes were accompanied by reduced perfusion to the choroid plexus and correlated with greater CAG repeat expansion and worse motor impairment. The findings suggest that disrupted neurofluid regulation, which is critical for waste clearance and inflammation control, may be a key mechanism in HD neurodegeneration.
Why it might matter to you: This research directly connects neurofluid pathway dysfunction to a core neurodegenerative disease, offering a new mechanistic target for investigation beyond traditional neuronal models. For a neurologist, understanding these aberrations is crucial as they could influence the efficacy of emerging CSF-delivered therapeutics for Huntington’s and potentially other neurodegenerative conditions. It shifts the focus toward the brain’s clearance systems as a modifiable factor in disease progression and treatment strategy.
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