Relative differences in resting-state brain connectivity associated with long term intensive lifestyle intervention.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Metabolic Disorders
• Public Health

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is linked to brain activity and connectivity changes.
• Lifestyle interventions, including physical activity and weight loss, may influence brain functional connectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the long-term effects of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) on resting-state brain networks in adults with T2DM.
• To compare brain network characteristics between ILI participants and a control group receiving health education.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional comparison of functional brain network characteristics.
• Analysis of global and local network efficiency in 312 T2DM participants (160 ILI, 152 control).
• Assessment of age-dependent effects on brain network alterations.

Main Results:

• ILI participants exhibited attenuated local efficiency at the network level compared to controls.
• No significant difference in network-level global efficiency between groups.
• Nodal global efficiency was elevated in specific brain regions (left fusiform gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus) among ILI participants, particularly in older individuals.
• ILI was associated with brain networks showing less regional and more global connectivity, especially in frontal lobes.

Conclusions:

• A decade-long intensive lifestyle intervention in T2DM patients resulted in brain network alterations characterized by reduced local efficiency and increased global connectivity.
• These findings suggest that ILI may promote greater distributed information processing in the brain.
• Further research is needed to clarify whether these observed brain network differences represent compensatory mechanisms or reflect underlying pathology, particularly concerning age-related effects.