Do you often have moments in your busy work where, after a day of high-intensity mental labor, your brain seems to shut down in the evening, your reaction slows down, and you just want to clear your mind? In fact, this is because our brain is like a constantly operating factory, and continuous work accumulates "garbage", which is metabolic waste. If these garbage cannot be cleared out, they may become the "culprit" of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Scientists have long known that the brain has its own "drainage system", which is cerebrospinal fluid. It is a transparent liquid that flows between brain tissues like clean water, washing away the metabolic waste of the brain and discharging it out of the body through special channels. Previously, scientists from the Korean Institute of Basic Science and the Korean Academy of Science and Technology discovered that cerebrospinal fluid flows through the meningeal lymphatic vessels and nasopharyngeal lymphatic plexus at the base of the skull, and then to the deep lymph nodes in the neck. In this entire system, lymphatic vessels are responsible for transporting waste and immune cells, just like the sewers of a city; And lymph nodes are filters that distribute along the lymphatic vessels, gradually capturing harmful molecules. One of the most concerning wastes discharged is beta amyloid protein associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. But the problem is that as we age, the brain's drainage system gradually ages. The cerebrospinal fluid flow rate slows down and garbage begins to accumulate. Scientists also want to 'connect the sewer', but these lymphatic vessels are located deep in the neck and require medication or surgery to regulate, which poses significant risks and technical challenges. Recently, the team used fluorescence tracing technology to track the flow path of cerebrospinal fluid and discovered a shallow lymphatic network approximately 5 millimeters beneath the skin on the face and neck of mice and monkeys. They observed that cerebrospinal fluid first enters the primary lymphatic vessels in the skull base meninges, then passes through the lymphatic vessels around the eyes, nasopharynx, and hard palate above the mouth, and finally flows into the submandibular lymph nodes through smooth muscle covered superficial cervical lymphatic vessels. With this tube very close to the skin, scientists quickly came up with a bold idea: could cerebrospinal fluid be "pushed" down through external stimuli such as massage? They designed a mechanical stimulation device with a small cotton ball connected to its top. When using mechanical devices to gently stimulate the skin around the eyes and jaw of mice, the cerebrospinal fluid excretion significantly increased, up to three times that of normal, equivalent to restoring to the level of young mice. The same effect was also achieved on monkeys. However, it is interesting that vigorous massage may have the opposite effect, so the intensity of stimulation must be precisely controlled. This technology is completely non-invasive and does not involve drugs, surgery, or implanted electrodes. Just mechanically massaging the skin can help the brain "detoxify". Doesn't it sound amazing? However, neurologist Steven Pruks from the University of Bern in Switzerland pointed out that whether this method can really prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's disease still needs further research. But this achievement still provides a new possibility, as animal experiments have shown that stimulating the muscles around lymphatic vessels through massage can increase the amount of cerebrospinal fluid excreted to clear waste. Perhaps in the future, doing a simple "facial care" once a day can bring a deep "cleansing" to the brain. (New Society)