Role of Cerebral Venous System in Neurodegenerative Disorders

The role of cerebral venous system in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases remains largely unknown and underinvestigated. Recent studies have suggested that several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, appear to be associated with venous dysfunction. Unlike the cerebral arterial system, the spatial organization of cerebral venous system is more complicated and often asymmetric, with greater structural heterogeneity than cerebral arterial anatomy. Consequently, this system has been far less studied and understood. Currently, there is an intense debate on whether cerebral venous system dysfunction can influence neurological diseases. In this chapter, we review the role of cerebral venous system in neurodegenerative diseases and aim to give some new concepts on the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.