SVU 2025 Annual Conference Intracranial Session-SVU 2025 Annual Conference Intracranial Session

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This intracranial session featured three key presentations emphasizing cerebral blood flow's critical role in brain health, dementia, hearing loss, and sickle cell disease monitoring, moderated by Anne Jones.<br /><br />Steve Knight introduced the glymphatic system—dubbed the brain's "dishwasher"—a recently discovered microcirculatory network that cleanses brain waste like beta-amyloid during deep sleep by circulating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through periarterial spaces, powered by vascular pulsations and breathing. Disruption in this system, such as by hypertension, may hinder waste clearance, potentially contributing to Alzheimer's. This system activates chiefly during certain sleep phases, revealing the vital importance of quality sleep for brain health.<br /><br />Samaya Shah Hashvani linked hearing loss, dementia, and cerebrovascular health. She explained the cochlea and hippocampus' vulnerability due to their high metabolic demand and limited vascular reserve, emphasizing hearing loss as a modifiable dementia risk factor. She proposed transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound as a noninvasive, practical tool to assess vascular health in the cochlea and hippocampus, aiming to detect shared vascular impairment contributing to cognitive decline and fall risk.<br /><br />Anne Jones shared her extensive experience training clinicians in TCD use for sickle cell disease stroke prevention globally, particularly in Africa and India. Despite limited resources and treatment availability, TCD screening helps identify children at high stroke risk, enabling interventions. New treatments and global collaborations offer hope, though challenges like malnutrition and healthcare access persist.<br /><br />Collectively, these talks highlight innovative vascular imaging’s potential to deepen understanding and improve prevention and treatment of neurological disorders worldwide.

Keywords

glymphatic system

cerebral blood flow

Alzheimer's disease

hearing loss

dementia risk factors

transcranial Doppler ultrasound

sickle cell disease stroke prevention

vascular imaging

neurological disorder monitoring