CSF exchange between the spinal cord and the cranium increases in asymptomatic human subjects when body position is shifted from upright to supine. This appears to be caused by an increase in CSF flow during diastole, in the caudo-cranial direction, and systole, in cranio-caudal direction. Extrapolation of the results showed that within a 24 hour timescale, the more time spent in the supine position (asleep) correlated with more CSF exchanged between the spinal cord and the intracranial space. These alterations can therefore play a major role in brain waste clearance, and possibly many neurodegenerative diseases as well as age-related ailments.
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