Evidence mapPaperPMID 40896232Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2025

Glymphatic system dysfunction in young adults hospitalized for an acute psychotic episode: a preliminary report from a pilot study.

Tommaso Barlattani, Dalila De Luca, Sara Giambartolomei, Antony Bologna, Antonio Innocenzi, Federico Bruno, Valentina Socci, Maurizio Malavolta, Alessandro Rossi, Domenico de Berardis and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Tommaso BarlattaniDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Dalila De LucaDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Sara GiambartolomeiDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Antony BolognaDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Antonio InnocenziDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Federico BrunoDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Valentina SocciDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Maurizio MalavoltaDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Alessandro RossiDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Domenico de BerardisMental Health Department, Azienda Sanitaria Locale 4 Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
Alessandra SplendianiDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Francesca PacittiDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences (DISCAB), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The glymphatic system is integral to the elimination of metabolic waste from the central nervous system and has been extensively studied in relation to neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that glymphatic dysfunction may also play a role in psychiatric disorders, including psychosis and schizophrenia. This pilot study investigated glymphatic clearance in young adults hospitalized for an acute psychotic episode using the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-derived ALPS (Along Perivascular Spaces) index. Initially, thirteen patients aged 18-30 were recruited; however, only nine completed the DTI protocol due to severe psychiatric symptoms and practical constraints. A non-psychiatric control group comprising twelve individuals was subjected to the same imaging protocol, though precise age matching was not implemented. The study's findings indicated significant reductions in the ALPS index among patients compared to controls, supporting the hypothesis of impaired glymphatic function during acute psychotic episodes. No significant associations were found between glymphatic clearance and sleep quality, disorganized thinking, or general cognitive functioning. Despite the limitations related to the small sample size, these preliminary results highlight the necessity of further research into the glymphatic system's involvement in psychosis. Larger-scale studies are required to elucidate the clinical implications and pathophysiological mechanisms linking glymphatic dysfunction to acute psychosis and early psychotic disorders.

Indexed as

aquaporin-4astrocytescerebrospinal fluiddiffusion tensor imagingextracellular fluidglymphatic systempsychotic disordersschizophrenia

Identifiers

PMID40896232
PMCPMC12396198

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.