New research suggests those with ME/CFS have a defect in the brain's "waste disposal" system.
When we sleep, large groups of neurons fire together in slow, rhythmic waves, allowing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to pulse through the brain and wash away waste products that accumulate throughout the day.
The CSF is then transported from the brain via specialized lymphatic vessels below the skull, known as glymphatics, leaving the brain 'clean' and refreshed when we wake.
A new preliminary study from Griffith University in Australia finds that the glymphatic system is not only impaired but also correlated with worse sleep problems and “brain fog” in those with ME/CFS. However, this glymphatic dysfunction was only observed in the brain's right hemisphere.
The study is small and preliminary, but it offers a plausible biological mechanism for a subset of ME/CFS symptoms.
More research is needed to confirm the findings and understand the right-hemisphere asymmetry.
Read more here.
Brain Inflammation Collab · Jul 13, 2026
Could the Brain's "Waste Disposal" System Play a Role in ME/CFS?
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A new preliminary study links impaired glymphatic function to brain fog and sleep problems in people with ME/CFS.
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