Neck surgery may help clear brain waste in Alzheimer's patients
NCT ID NCT07680660
First seen Jul 02, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This trial investigates whether a surgical procedure that connects lymph vessels in the neck to veins, combined with the standard drug donepezil, can slow cognitive decline in people with moderate Alzheimer's disease. The surgery aims to improve drainage of waste from the brain, which may reduce damage. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either the surgery plus donepezil or donepezil alone, and their cognitive function is tracked over 18 months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cervical lymph vessel/node-venous anastomosis surgery combined with oral donepezil
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a new way to slow Alzheimer's progression by improving the brain's waste-clearing system.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage surgical approach with unknown long-term benefits and risks. The surgery itself carries standard surgical risks, and it may not provide meaningful cognitive improvement.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai, Huangpu, 200011, China
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