07/07/2026
๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ:
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ-๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐/๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐
The brainโs waste clearance system is impaired in people living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) which can lead to various symptoms including brain fog, Griffith University researchers have discovered.
The research demonstrates, for the first time, the impact ME/CFS has on glymphatic function which is responsible for clearing the brain of metabolic waste products and is mostly active during sleep and disengaged while a person is awake.
Lead author Dr Kiran Thapaliya from Griffithโs National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED) said when the brainโs waste clearance system did not work properly, harmful waste could build up causing neuroinflammation.
โThis study is the first to demonstrate impaired glymphatic function in ME/CFS using MRI, providing a mechanistic explanation for the inflammatory changes reported by other Australian and international teams,โ he said.
โThis suggests that dysfunction in the brainโs natural cleaning system may be a key driver of this condition.โ
Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik, NCNED Director, said not only did reduced glymphatic function cause brain fog, but also caused sleep disturbance.
โThe study found worse sleep is associated with poor brain waste clearance, reinforcing the notion that sleep plays a critical role in maintaining brain health,โ she said.
โWe hope the results can pave the way for better diagnosis through the use of non-invasive procedures, and importantly, future treatment for patients.โ
https://news.griffith.edu.au/2026/07/03/brains-waste-clearing-ability-impaired-in-me-cfs-patients/
The paper โDisrupted glymphatic function and its relationship with sleep and cognitive impairment in ME/CFS assessed via DTI-ALPSโ has been published in Frontiers in Neuroscience. Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1875420/full
Best wishes,
Sonya and the NCNED team
NCNED would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to all the volunteers, Support Groups and the following Organizations:
โข The Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation
โข National Health and Medical Research Council
โข MERUK
โข Dr John Hamwood
โข The McCusker Charitable Foundation
โข Mr Adrian Flack
โข Talei Stewart
โข The Alison Hunter Memorial Foundation
โข The Buxton Foundation
โข The Henty Community
โข The Blake Beckett Foundation
โข Change for ME Charity
โข QLD ME/CFS/FM Support Association
โข WA ME/CFS and Lyme Association
โข Fibromyalgia ME/CFS Gold Coast Support Group Inc
โข Tweed ME/CFS/FM Lyme Support Group
โข ME/CFS South Australia Inc
โข ME/CFS & FM Association NSW Inc
โข ME/CFS Australia Ltd
Griffith University, Griffith Health, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Tom Kindlon's ME CFS & related page: News, Research and more, ME/CFS Australia, ME Australia, ME CFS and Lyme Association of WA, ME/CFS/FM Support Association QLD Inc, Fibromyalgia me/cfs Gold Coast Support Group Inc., Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia NSW, Australia, My QoL, ME/ CFS South Australia Inc, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Group Australia Ltd, ME Research UK, Me/cfs San Diego, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis M.E Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CFS Science, Leeds ME Network, Stichting ME Research, Bristol ME Support Group, Oxfordshire ME Group for Action, ME Long Covid unite SA, May 12th International ME CFS FM Awareness Day Australia, FJD/Robotech Robot line markers Australia
The brainโs waste clearance system is impaired in people living with ME/CFS which can lead to various symptoms including brain fog.
