# Methods and devices to assist and improve cerebrospinal fluid drainage

> **NIH NIH R21** · METHODIST HOSPITAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2022 · $444,125

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 Excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal flow (CSF) known as hydrocephalus affects about 1 million
Americans of all ages, which is especially high in children (88 per 100,000) and older (175 per 100,000)
populations. Hydrocephalus is frequently observed following central nervous system insults such as
subarachnoid hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury. CSF has numerous important functional roles including
maintenance of ionic and pH balance; waste removal; distribution of humoral factors; and providing a cushion
for the brain. Thus, CSF homeostasis is critically important for normal brain function. Several exit routes for the
CSF outflow have been identified, such as the arachnoid granulations, paravascular and paracranial nerves
pathways and meningeal lymphatics. In the current project, we will leverage the drainage system of the CSF flow
to decrease hydrocephalus and clear the cellular metabolic waste. Studies showed that up to 50% of CSF drains
through the brain lymphatics and then the cervical lymph nodes. We propose that contraction of the neck
muscles, by compressing the underlying cervical valve-equipped lymph vessels and nodes, is capable of
accelerating CSF drainage resulting in the clearance of CSF excess and waste metabolites. Our preliminary
results demonstrated that electrostimulation of the neck muscles decreases intracranial pressure (ICP), and
accelerates cerebrospinal fluid flow, detected by dynamic contrast-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging
(DCE-MRI). The main goal of this project is to investigate whether percutaneous electrostimulation of the mouse
neck muscles accelerate CSF flow. We will monitor in vivo ICP changes in the ventricles during neck muscle
stimulation, CSF distribution and drainage using dynamic contrast-enhancement MRI and macromolecule
clearance using fluorescent tracers and fluorescent imaging. Employing known models of hydrocephalus, kaolin
injection in the cisterna magna, we will evaluate the effects of chronic electromyostimulation (EMS) on the
ventriculomegaly by T2-weighted anatomic MRI. We will also assess the overall well-being of the mice by
locomotor and single-task cognitive test. The results of this project will provide new therapeutic venues for the
treatment of hydrocephalus and potentially other neurological diseases in which glymphatic pathway is impaired.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10525473
- **Project number:** 1R21NS125509-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** METHODIST HOSPITAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Gavin Wayne Britz
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $444,125
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10525473

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10525473, Methods and devices to assist and improve cerebrospinal fluid drainage (1R21NS125509-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-03 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10525473. Licensed CC0.

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