Clinical Study on Deep Cervical Lymphatic Trunk Decompression Combined With Mid-Cervical Deep Lymph Node-External Jugular Vein Anastomosis for Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

February 17, 2026 updated by: Oriental Neurosurgery Evidence-Based-Study Team

Bilateral Cervical Deep Lymphatic Trunk Decompression Combined With Mid-Cervical Deep Lymph Node-External Jugular Vein Anastomosis for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of bilateral deep cervical lymphatic trunk decompression combined with mid and deep cervical lymph node-extracervical vein anastomosis in the treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The study seeks to explore new treatment options that may improve the quality of life for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Study Overview

Status

Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss, cognitive impairment, and behavioral changes, ultimately leading to the inability of patients to perform daily activities independently. Despite the availability of various pharmacological treatments aimed at alleviating the progression of the disease, current therapeutic approaches are unable to effectively delay or reverse the course of AD. Therefore, the treatment of Alzheimer's disease remains a significant challenge in the global medical community. This issue is particularly pressing in patients with moderate to severe AD, as existing therapies have limited efficacy, creating a critical need for novel treatment strategies.

The discovery of the brain's lymphatic system has opened new avenues for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Recent studies have shown that the meningeal lymphatic vessels play a crucial role in clearing waste products from the brain, including neurotoxins such as amyloid-beta, which accumulate in patients with AD. Dysfunction of this lymphatic drainage system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. This insight has spurred interest in enhancing lymphatic drainage as a potential therapeutic approach for AD.

Lymphatic-venous anastomosis (LVA) is a surgical technique traditionally used to treat lymphedema and other lymphatic drainage disorders. It involves surgically connecting lymphatic vessels to nearby veins, allowing lymph fluid to flow directly into the venous system. Studies have suggested that LVA may help improve lymphatic drainage in the brain and potentially reduce the accumulation of harmful substances associated with Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing disease progression. This research aims to provide valuable insights into the potential of enhancing brain lymphatic drainage as a therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease, potentially leading to significant breakthroughs in its treatment.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

45

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
      • Tianjin, China
        • General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, China

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 50-80 years;
  2. Meet the diagnostic criteria for AD in the Revised Criteria for the Diagnosis and Staging of Alzheimer's Disease (2024) published by the National Institute Aging and Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA);
  3. Presence of moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment with a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score ≥2, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of < 20;
  4. Stable use of medication for ≥1 month and no planned change in medication within 3 months of randomisation;
  5. The patients and their families had been informed of the purpose, significance, expected effects and potential risks of the study and voluntarily participated in the study by providing biological samples and signing an informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Dementia caused by other reasons: vascular dementia, central nervous system infections (e.g. HIV, syphilis, etc.), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Huntington's chorea and Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, dementia due to traumatic brain injury, other physical and chemical factors (e.g. drug intoxication, alcohol intoxication, carbon monoxide intoxication, etc.), important physical diseases (e.g. hepatic encephalopathy, pulmonary encephalopathy, etc.), intracranial occupying lesions (e.g. subdural haematoma, brain tumour), endocrine system lesions (e.g. thyroid disease, parathyroid disease), and vitamin deficiency or any other cause of dementia;
  2. Presence of current serious or unstable medical conditions, including cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, respiratory, endocrine, neurological (except for cognitive impairment of AD origin), psychiatric, immunological or haematological disorders, and any other condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, may affect the results of the analyses in this study; or a life expectancy of <24 months;
  3. Presence of a history of cancer within 5 years, with the exception of non-metastatic basal cell and/or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, cervical carcinoma in situ, non-progressive prostate cancer, or other cancers with a low risk of recurrence or spread;
  4. Subjects with a current diagnosis of any primary psychiatric disorder other than cognitive impairment of AD origin, which requires exclusion if, in the opinion of the Investigator, the presence of the psychiatric disorder or symptom may interfere with interpretation of the effects of the LVA, interfere with cognitive assessment, or interfere with the subject's ability to complete the study. Exclusion is required for subjects with a history of schizophrenia or other chronic psychiatric illness;
  5. Subjects who, in the judgement of the investigator, are actively suicidal and therefore considered to be at significant risk of suicide;
  6. Illiteracy or insufficient education to complete the scale assessment;
  7. A history of alcohol or drug abuse (other than a history of smoking) in the 2 years prior to the screening visit;
  8. A clinically significant history of multiple or severe drug allergies, significant atopic sensitivities, or severe post-treatment hypersensitivity reactions (including, but not limited to, erythema multiforme, linear IgA dermatosis, toxic epidermal necrolysis-relaxation, and/or exfoliative dermatitis);
  9. Clinically significant abnormalities of clinical significance (as determined by the investigator) on physical or neurological examination, vital signs, ECG, or clinical laboratory findings at screening that may be detrimental to the subject, interfere with the study, or suggest evidence of other causes of dementia;
  10. MRI results at screening that show evidence of significant abnormalities suggesting the presence of another potential etiology of progressive cognitive impairment or the presence of clinically significant findings which may compromise the subject's ability to safely participate in the study. For example, >2 infarct foci >2 cm in diameter; infarct foci in key areas such as thalamus, hippocampus, internal olfactory cortex, parafactory cortex, angular gyrus, cortex and other subcortical grey matter nuclei; and a Fazekas Scale grade of >2 on the Cerebral White Matter Impairment Scale (CWMIS);
  11. Presence of any contraindication to MRI, including claustrophobia, or presence of prohibited metallic (ferromagnetic) implants/pacemakers;
  12. Presence of contraindications to LVA surgery, such as the presence of severe infection at the surgical site, severe cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, renal, or other systemic functional abnormalities that cannot tolerate general anaesthesia surgery;
  13. Currently participating in a clinical trial involving other interventional clinical trials, or participating in any other type of medical research that is considered scientifically or medically incompatible with this study;
  14. Other reasons that prevent completion of this study: e.g., lack of a stable caregiver;
  15. Female subjects who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant;
  16. Patients with a Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) score of 7 were excluded, as the profound loss of verbal communication and basic motor function at this stage precluded adherence to study protocols and reliable participation in postoperative assessments.
  17. is a member of the Research Centre staff and/or his/her immediate family directly related to this study. Immediate family is defined as a spouse, parent, child, or sibling, whether biologically or legally adopted.
  18. who were currently receiving or had previously received anti-amyloid β disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), or who had participated in clinical trials involving such agents, were not eligible for inclusion.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental group (Surgical group)
bilateral cervical deep lymphatic trunk decompression combined with mid-cervical deep lymph node-external jugular vein anastomosis
Procedure: Bilateral Cervical Deep Lymphatic Trunk Decompression Combined with Mid-Cervical Deep Lymph Node-External Jugular Vein Anastomosis for Alzheimer's Disease
This intervention involves a surgical approach that combines bilateral cervical deep lymphatic trunk decompression with mid-cervical deep lymph node-external jugular vein anastomosis (LVA) to enhance lymphatic drainage in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients. The aim is to reduce the accumulation of neurotoxic substances in the brain, potentially improving cognitive function by facilitating waste clearance via the lymphatic system. The procedure is intended to restore normal lymphatic flow, potentially slowing disease progression in AD patients who have moderate to severe cognitive impairment.
No Intervention: control group
Patients are not subject to surgical intervention, only medication is administered

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Clinical Dementia Rating Scale sum of the boxes (CDR-SB)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.
The Clinical Dementia Rating Scale sum of the boxes (CDR-SB) will be used to evaluate the general cognitive function. CDR-SB ranges from 0 to 18, and higher value represents a worse outcome.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.
Change in Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.
The Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) will be used to evaluate the general cognitive function. MMSE ranges from 0 to 30, and higher value represents a better outcome.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.
Change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) will be used to evaluate the general cognitive function. MoCA ranges from 0 to 30, and higher value represents a better outcome.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.
Change in Alzheimer's disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale 13 (ADAS-Cog13)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.
The Alzheimer's disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale 13 (ADAS-Cog 13) will be used to evaluate the general cognitive function. ADAS-Cog 13 ranges from 0 to 85, and higher value represents a worse outcome.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.
Change in Clinical Dementia Rating Scale global score (CDR-GS)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.
The Clinical Dementia Rating Scale global score (CDR-GS) will be used to evaluate the general cognitive function. CDR-GS ranges from 0 to 3, and higher value represents a worse outcome.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in amyloid deposit in brain
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 months after surgery
Change from baseline as measured by amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scan using centiloids. The centiloid scale anchor points are 0 and 100, where 0 represents a high-certainty amyloid negative scan and 100 represents the amount of global amyloid deposition found in a typical AD scan. A negative change indicates an improvement from baseline.
Baseline and 3 months after surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Oriental Neurosurgery Evidence-Based-Study Team

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 8, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 10, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 22, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 17, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

April 20, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 17, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB2025-YX-099-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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