Li YP, Niu Y, Ding H, Chen Z, Zhang Q. Potential role of meningeal lymphatic drainage in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced cognitive improvement: A call for further research. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(11): 111985 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i11.111985]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Qiang Zhang, Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, The 961st Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force, No. 71 Postal Road, Qiqihar 161000, Heilongjiang Province, China. qiangzhang1982@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Neurosciences
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Nov 19, 2025 (publication date) through Nov 24, 2025
Times Cited of This Article
Times Cited (0)
Journal Information of This Article
Publication Name
World Journal of Psychiatry
ISSN
2220-3206
Publisher of This Article
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Share the Article
Li YP, Niu Y, Ding H, Chen Z, Zhang Q. Potential role of meningeal lymphatic drainage in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced cognitive improvement: A call for further research. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(11): 111985 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i11.111985]
World J Psychiatry. Nov 19, 2025; 15(11): 111985 Published online Nov 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i11.111985
Potential role of meningeal lymphatic drainage in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced cognitive improvement: A call for further research
Ying-Pei Li, Yin Niu, Hong Ding, Zhi Chen, Qiang Zhang
Ying-Pei Li, Yin Niu, Zhi Chen, Department of Neurosurgery, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
Hong Ding, Qiang Zhang, Department of Neurosurgery, The 961st Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force, Qiqihar 161000, Heilongjiang Province, China
Qiang Zhang, Department of Neurosurgery, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar 161000, Heilongjiang Province, China
Qiang Zhang, Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 15400, Heilongjiang Province, China
Co-first authors: Ying-Pei Li and Yin Niu.
Co-corresponding authors: Zhi Chen and Qiang Zhang.
Author contributions: Li YP, Niu Y, and Ding H wrote the original draft; Li YP and Niu Y contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Chen Z and Zhang Q participated in drafting the manuscript, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Supported by the Heilongjiang Provincial Health Commission Scientific Research Project, No. 20230404040027; and the Scientific Technology Project of Qiqihar City, No. CSFGG-2025030.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Qiang Zhang, Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, The 961st Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force, No. 71 Postal Road, Qiqihar 161000, Heilongjiang Province, China. qiangzhang1982@163.com
Received: July 16, 2025 Revised: August 2, 2025 Accepted: August 22, 2025 Published online: November 19, 2025 Processing time: 111 Days and 6.1 Hours
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is a high-risk transitional phase leading to Alzheimer’s disease, is characterized by mild memory deficits and specific cognitive dysfunctions. Without effective intervention, a significant proportion of patients with MCI progress to dementia. However, current pharmacological treatments are characterized by side effects and poor patient compliance. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective, noninvasive alternative treatments. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is becoming a widely studied noninvasive treatment for central nervous system disease. The therapeutic effects of rTMS on patients with MCI and its underlying mechanism are noteworthy issues. Recently, a growing number of studies have shown that meningeal lymphatic vessel damage may be related to cognitive dysfunction. Whether the improvement of the meningeal lymphatic system is an important mechanism through which rTMS improves the clinical manifestations of MCI is worthy of further study.
Core Tip: The treatment group demonstrated improved long-term memory performance, short-term memory performance, and cognitive function after treatment compared with baseline measurements, although no significant changes were observed in immediate memory performance. In contrast, the control group showed no statistically significant differences in any parameters before or after treatment. Further investigations are warranted regarding the mechanism of action of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Future studies should explore its functional effects on the meningeal lymphatic system to elucidate its underlying therapeutic mechanisms.
