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Resting-state brain functional connectivity is altered in type 2 diabetes
Gail Musen1, Alan M Jacobson, Nicolas R Bolo
1Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. gail.musen@joslin.harvard.edu
Diabetes
|June 6, 2012
Summary
Type 2 diabetes is linked to Alzheimer's disease. This study found reduced default mode network connectivity in T2DM patients, associated with insulin resistance, not brain structure or cognition changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Altered brain activity in the default mode network (DMN) precedes cognitive decline in individuals at risk for AD.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of T2DM's impact on the brain is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
- To assess the relationship between DMN connectivity, insulin resistance, cognitive function, and hippocampal volume in T2DM patients.
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare DMN functional connectivity between T2DM patients (n=10) and age-matched controls (n=11).
- Evaluated were hippocampal volume, cognitive assessments, and insulin sensitivity using the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR).
Main Results:
- T2DM patients exhibited reduced DMN functional connectivity compared to controls, specifically between the posterior cingulate cortex and the bilateral middle temporal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and left thalamus.
- No significant group differences were observed in cognition or hippocampal volume.
- In T2DM patients, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was inversely correlated with functional connectivity in the right inferior frontal gyrus and precuneus.
Conclusions:
- T2DM is associated with altered DMN functional connectivity, even without cognitive impairment or changes in brain structure.
- Insulin resistance plays a role in the observed DMN connectivity alterations in T2DM patients.
- These findings suggest potential early neural changes in T2DM that may contribute to increased Alzheimer's disease risk.
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