Deep cervical lymphatic-venous anastomosis attenuates cognitive dysfunction and biomarker abnormalities in severe...

This study evaluated the efficacy of deep cervical lymphatic-venous anastomosis (dcLVA) for severe Alzheimer's disease (AD).

A total of 139 severe AD patients undergoing dcLVA were enrolled, and changes in cognitive function and biomarkers were evaluated by comparing preoperative measures with postoperative outcomes over a 6-month follow-up period.

Patients undergoing dcLVA showed modestly elevated Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores from 48 hour postoperatively to 6-month follow-up. At 6-month, observable changes across functional status and neuropsychiatric symptoms were documented, as demonstrated by reductions in scores on the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Caregiver Distress (NPI-D), and Sleep Disorders Inventory (SDI). Biomarker analyses revealed decreased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) β-amyloid (Aβ) 42, Aβ40, and p-Tau levels postoperatively, along with increased plasma concentrations of these markers. No deaths or serious procedure-related adverse events occurred during 6-month follow-up.

These findings suggest that dcLVA may confer multifaceted clinical benefits in severe AD patients, including attenuation of certain neuropsychiatric dysfunctions and a potential slowing of symptom progression.