Background The glymphatic (glial‐lymphatic) system plays a key role in clearing interstitial waste such as amyloid‐β and tau, and dysfunction of this pathway has been tied to dementia. Animal studies have shown that ligating cervical lymphatic vessels accelerates protein buildup, inflammation, and memory loss. Clinically, head and neck cancer patients who undergo cervical lymph node dissection offer a natural model of this process, and a recent retrospective study suggests higher dementia risk in this group. Additionally, a recent prospective study and several case reports of lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) in patients with Alzheimer's Disease have being performed as strategy to mitigate Alzheimer's associated dementia, with early positive findings. Aim To review the current evidence linking cervical lymphatic interventions, both disruptive and reconstructive, with dementia and cognitive outcomes. Methods We searched PubMed and Embase for studies reporting on glymphatic or cervical lymphatic interventions with cognition as an outcome. Eligible studies included observational cohorts, case series, and case reports. Extracted data included intervention type, study design, and cognitive or biomarker endpoints. Results Recent human studies suggest a relationship between lymphatic disruption and dementia. Chao et al. (2024) found that bilateral supraomohyoid or modified radical neck dissections were associated with a higher incidence of dementia compared with unilateral procedures (doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2024.10.002). Liu et al. (2024) showed that radiotherapy and lateral neck dissection in pediatric parotidectomy patients correlated with lower cognitive scores (doi:10.1007/s00405‐024‐08705‐x). No overlapping cognitive metrics were used across these studies. For LVA, Li (2024; doi:10.1136/gpsych‐2024‐101641) and Xie (2025; doi:10.1055/a‐2627‐9243) described case reports of Alzheimer's patients who stabilized or improved after LVA. Both reports highlighted clinical gains within weeks of surgery. Chen et al. (2025) extended this in a prospective series of 26 AD patients where 60% of patients noted symptomatic benefit (doi:10.1097/JS9.0000000000002490) and 15% reported an improved Montreal Cognitive Assessment score. To date, only 1 LVA cohort has been described in the literature. Discussion Overall, the available early evidence matches what animal studies have long suggested, that impaired waste clearance through cervical lymphatic pathways play a role in cognitive decline, and that LVA may ameliorate cognitive impairment. Observational cancer cohorts reported on by Chao et al (2024) and Liu et al (2024) show increased cognitive impairment with glymphatic disruption. Preliminary interventional studies like Chen et al. (2025) and multiple case reports raise the possibility that restoring lymphatic drainage could help ameliorate dementia symptoms. Our review underscores the paucity of reporting on this topic and the heterogeneity of current studies. Conclusion Cervical lymphatic disruption may contribute to dementia risk, while reconstructive approaches such as LVA show early promise. Prospective trials will be critical to increase statistical power and provide more substantial evidence on whether CLND may precipitate cognitive decline and if LVA improves disease course.
Goyal et al. (Sat,) studied this question.