Fluid dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid flow in perivascular spaces

Abstract

The flow of cerebrospinal fluid along perivascular spaces (PVSs) is an important part of the brain’s system for delivering nutrients and eliminating metabolic waste products (such as amyloid-β); it also offers a pathway for the delivery of therapeutic drugs to the brain parenchyma. Recent experimental results have resolved several important questions about this flow, setting the stage for advances in our understanding of its fluid dynamics. This review summarizes the new experimental evidence and provides a critical evaluation of previous fluid-dynamic models of flows in PVSs. The review also discusses some basic fluid-dynamic concepts relevant to these flows, including the combined effects of diffusion and advection in clearing solutes from the brain.