HMN 2026: How Brain scans reveal impaired waste clearance in ME/CFS, offering clue to brain fog

The brain’s 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 paper “Disrupted glymphatic function and its relationship with sleep and cognitive impairment in ME/CFS assessed via DTI-ALPS” has been published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.

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 Griffith’s National Center for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED) said when the brain’s waste clearance system did not work properly, harmful waste could build up, causing neuroinflammation.

“This 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,” he said.

“This suggests that dysfunction in the brain’s natural cleaning system may be a key driver of this condition.”

Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik, NCNED director, said reduced glymphatic function not only caused brain fog but also sleep disturbance.

“The study found worse sleep is associated with poor brain waste clearance, reinforcing the notion that sleep plays a critical role in maintaining brain health,” she said.

“We hope the results can pave the way for better diagnosis through the use of noninvasive procedures, and importantly, future treatment for patients.”

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