The glymphatic system is a brain-wide perivascular pathway that functions similarly to the lymphatic system in the periphery of the body, playing a crucial role in removing waste from the brain. Although impaired glymphatic function has a well-known relationship with neurodegenerative diseases through abnormal protein accumulation, it is also associated with migraine. While still in its nascent phase, research on the glymphatic system in migraine patients is gradually increasing. This systematic literature review focuses on studies investigating the glymphatic system in migraineurs. Furthermore, it examines the methods used to evaluate the glymphatic system in these studies and their main findings.
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Chronic Migraine Is Associated With Region-Specific High-Grade Enlarged Perivascular Spaces: Retrospective Matched Case-Control Study Jae Wook Cho, Gha-Hyun Lee, Jiyoung Kim Journal of Clinical Neurology.2026; 22(1): 113. CrossRef
Diffusion Tensor Imaging-Based Glymphatic Dysfunction Assessments in Migraine Syndromes: Mechanisms and Diagnostic Implications Emily Lai, Joshua Estin, Jiahao Zhou, Roger Sheffmaker, Manisha Koneru Biomedicines.2025; 13(12): 2981. CrossRef
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