UP researchers unlock new way to monitor brain diseases

Researchers at the University of Pretoria (UP) are developing a new, non-invasive way to detect changes linked to neurosurgical conditions worldwide by studying the movement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the eye. The breakthrough could provide doctors with a safer way to monitor patients living with two of the most common neurosurgical conditions worldwide – brain tumours and hydrocephalus, a dangerous build-up of fluid in the brain. This also means, according to UP, a safer way to monitor those who require long-term treatment and children without the need to insert pressure monitors into the brain.

CSF is a clear liquid that cushions the brain, delivers nutrients, removes waste and helps maintain stable pressure inside the skull. According to UP, disruptions to the flow of this fluid are closely linked to brain tumours and hydrocephalus. Tumours can block or distort the pathways through which fluid moves.

Hydrocephalus represents a more obvious breakdown, where fluid accumulates, and pressure rises. “In both cases, symptoms such as headaches, problems with vision and neurological decline are not simply caused by the presence of disease, but by changes in pressure and pulsating flow inside the skull,” UP said in its statement. While brain scans have traditionally been used to assess these conditions, researchers are now focusing on how the fluid moves rather than simply examining the brain’s structure. Professor Llewellyn Padayachy, head of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University’s Brain Tumour and Translational Neuroscience Centre (BTC@UP), said the eye offers a unique window into brain health.