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Updated: May 29, 2026

Studying the Hypothalamic Insulin Signal to Peripheral Glucose Intolerance with a Continuous Drug Infusion System into the Mouse Brain
Published on: January 4, 2018
Brain insulin signaling: a key component of cognitive processes and a potential basis for cognitive impairment in
Ewan C McNay1, Andrew K Recknagel
1Behavioral Neuroscience and Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany (SUNY), SS399, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA. emcnay@albany.edu
Abstract:
Understanding of the role of insulin in the brain has gradually expanded, from initial conceptions of the brain as insulin-insensitive through identification of a role in regulation of feeding, to recent demonstration of insulin as a key component of hippocampal memory processes. Conversely, systemic insulin resistance such as that seen in type 2 diabetes is associated with a range of cognitive and neural deficits. Here we review the evidence for insulin as a cognitive and neural modulator, including potential effector mechanisms, and examine the impact that type 2 diabetes has on these mechanisms in order to identify likely bases for the cognitive impairments seen in type 2 diabetic patients.
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